Brigadier General Denys "Redis" 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 Ilovaisk, 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.