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Yurii Chekh photo

Yurii Chekh

Lieutenant Colonel Yurii Chekh, callsign "Karl," is the commander of the International Battalion, 12th Special Forces Brigade, First Corps Azov, National Guard of Ukraine. Since joining Azov in 2014, he has risen from a soldier to a lieutenant colonel. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, he was an officer in Azov’s Combat and Special Training Department. Chekh took part in the heroic defense of Mariupol and endured Russian captivity. After returning to Ukraine in September 2022, he returned to service in Azov.

Articles

The international battalion of the 12th Azov Brigade receives a battle banner in a photo published on May 1, 2025.
Opinion

Why Azov Brigade created an International Battalion

by Yurii Chekh
Ukrainian history is rich with examples of foreign volunteers participating in wars fought by Ukrainians for their freedom. Latvian Karlis Broze, a lieutenant colonel in the Ukrainian People’s Republic, commanded the Black Zaporozhians company and later led one of the battalions during the Winter Campaign of 1919–1920. German Alfred Schamanek, a colonel in the Ukrainian Galician Army (UGA), served as chief of staff of the UGA and was one of the key proponents and planners of the Chortkiv offens

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