According to the "Russia Today" TV Station (RT) website on the 26th, a main street named after Soviet Marshal Rodion Malinovsky was officially renamed on Wednesday, on the grounds that it was to commemorate the "heroes" of the "Azov Camp". Russian media reported that many members of the "Azov Camp" were publicly promoting neo-Nazi ideology.
Russian RT website report screenshot
RT introduced that Malinovsky was born in Ukraine. From 1943 to 1944, he directed the Soviet army to liberate most of southern Ukraine from the German Nazis, including his hometown of Odessa. Malinovsky has won the title of Soviet Hero twice and served as Soviet Defense Minister for ten years.
report quoted the news released by the "Azov Camp" website as saying that representatives from the Kiev City Council and the Obolong District Administration attended the name change ceremony. Also participating in the ceremony were members of the "Azov Camp". Andrei Biletsky, founder and first commander of the "Azov Camp" said that the new name of the street is "Azov Camp in the Heroes", "mainly those who will not come back" and "captured people."
RT website report with pictures
RT report mentioned that about two months before the street was renamed, Kiev Mayor Klitschko announced that the Kiev City Council decided to rename 95 streets in the city. He revealed at the time that Rodion Malinovsky Street would be changed to a new name related to "Azov Camp".
According to a previous report by Russia's " News ", on September 12, Kiev announced a list of renames to 40 streets and squares related to Russia and the Soviet Union. For example, Minsk Street named after the capital of Belarus was changed to "Lithuanian Street", Stalingrad Hero Street became "Vladimir Ivasuk (Ukrainian Composer) Street", Murov Street named after the famous business road in ancient Russia was changed to "Vladimir Zabodingsky (Ukrainian poet, journalist) Street", and Decline Party Street became "Tarasov Brotherhood Street".
RT reported that "Azov Camp" was established as a volunteer organization in 2014, and its members are mainly far-right elements. A few months later, according to the order of Ukrainian President 1 Poroshenko , the "Azov Battalion" was officially incorporated into the Ukrainian National Guard. After the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out at the end of February this year, the "Azov Battalion" that received Western training was considered one of the strongest combat-capable armed forces under the command of Kiev.
"Azov Camp"'s mission is to maintain the control of the Kiev authorities over the strategic port of Azov , but ultimately failed to achieve this goal. After several personnel, including the commander, were besieged at the Azov Steel Plant for several weeks, surrendered to the Russian army. During the siege, Russia accused the "Azov Camp" of seizing civilians in the Azov Steel Plant and using them as "human shields". (Editor: HHJ)
