Brigadier General Denys "Redys" Prokopenko began performing the duties of commander of the Azov grouping of forces on 13 September. The corps press service reported this.
Denys Prokopenko has served in Azov since July 2014. He took part in the battles for Marinka and Ilovaysk, as well as in the defence of Mariupol. In 2017, at the age of 26, he became commander of the Azov regiment.
In this role, Prokopenko was responsible for training personnel, organising NCO and officer courses, as well as command-and-staff exercises. According to the corps press service, he also reshaped Azov from a volunteer unit into a professional combat formation.
The new appointment expands Prokopenko’s command role within the Azov structure. Since April 2025, he has headed the 1st Azov Corps of the National Guard.
- During a live online link-up at the annual YES conference, Denys Prokopenko said that the situation on the Donetsk axis remains very difficult. At the same time, during the summer campaign, Russian forces were unable to accomplish any of their strategic objectives.