A former Conservative Party member of the British parliament has announced that he joined Ukraine’s neo-Nazi Azov brigade.
The unit was formed in 2014 by far-right activists and football hooligans and was subsequently incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard. Azov’s first commander was white supremacist Andrey Biletsky. Many of the unit’s members hold ultranationalist views and have neo-Nazi tattoos.
Jack Lopresti, who represented the constituency of Filton and Bradley Stoke in Gloucestershire between 2010 and 2024, posted a photo on X on Thursday that shows him standing against the background of the brigade’s banner featuring an SS symbol known as the Wolfsangel rune.
“I am honoured to begin my service with the 12th Special Forces Brigade ‘Azov’ of the National Guard of Ukraine, a unit that has become a symbol of resilience and uncompromising principle,” Lopresti wrote.
Lopresti joined the Ukrainian military in early 2025 after losing his seat in the House of Commons the previous year. A corporal with the UK Army Reserve, he first served as an intelligence officer in Ukraine’s International Legion.
The Azov brigade has been accused of committing war crimes and criticized for using symbols associated with the Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS.
In October 2025, the Ukrainian police announced dismantling a criminal gang reportedly linked to the brigade that was involved in abducting, torturing, and extorting civilians.
Russia has repeatedly condemned the brigade and insisted that a peace settlement should include “denazification” of Ukraine. Moscow considers all foreign nationals fighting for Ukraine as mercenaries and legitimate targets on the battlefield.