Denys Prokopenko — Commander of the New Generation

With the arrival of Denys Prokopenko, a new stage in the development of Azov begins. A military unit is always somewhat reflective of its commander. Determination, attention to detail, a heightened sense of justice, and high self-control, coupled with young age and inherent adventurous spirit – such a psychological portrait can be drawn by observing “Redis” in the news.

One of the visible merits of the Azov commander is his strict approach to working with personnel and creating an atmosphere in the team that encourages continuous learning and improvement of skills among the officer corps.

Although his best leadership qualities were demonstrated in combat. The Shyrokyne operation served as a powerful impetus for development, where he realized the shortcomings of the lack of specialized military education and took up training. Already during the military campaign on the Svitlodarsk Bulge, “Redis” actively participated in battle management, showcasing a new level. In eight months of active combat, Azov lost 4 fighters – “Krugly”, “Maxon”, “Bich”, “Shakh”. While it is impossible to diminish the loss of each soldier, this quantitative indicator speaks volumes about the professionalism and coordination of the team’s work. But the main thing is that, at the leadership level, the unit practically completed the process of “depoliticization” and ceased to be associated with the political movement that included certain former Azov veterans.

Denys Prokopenko was born on June 27, 1991, in Kyiv. His great-grandfather was an ethnic Karelian who lived in Finland and participated in the Winter War against the Bolsheviks. Eventually, the great-grandfather disappeared without a trace in battle, sacrificing his life defending his homeland. In memory of his great-grandfather, Denys wears the chevron of the Uhtua Republic, a symbol of Karelians’ resistance to the communist regime. He lost his father at an early age and was raised by his grandfather, who shared many family stories. In rare interviews, the commander mentions that he continues his family’s legacy in the struggle for independence and against Russia’s imperial ambitions.

“Today, just like the Finns in 1939-1940, we are holding back the Moscow hordes that significantly outnumber us. As in Finland, our mobilization resources are smaller, but we are motivated by the awareness of what we are fighting for. Just like then, the enemy is superior in terms of equipment and weapons, but we have repeatedly proved that Ukrainian spirit and will can turn tons of enemy steel into dust”, writes Denys Prokopenko.

Denys Prokopenko graduated from Kyiv National Linguistic University as a teacher of English and German. However, after completing his degree, he did not have the opportunity to work in his field due to the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War. He was involved in sports and was an active fan of the Kyiv football club “Dynamo”.

He participated in the events of the Revolution of Dignity and joined “Azov” with friends from football fan circles. “Redis” is a private person. You can learn a bit more about his life from interviews or his wife Kateryna Prokopenko’s social media. Of course, reading the news is another way.

He became memorable to many when, on Independence Day in 2019, during the presentation of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree, he did not perform a military greeting to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Later, Azov commented that, according to the Armed Forces statute, military salute is given only to military personnel, not civilians.

After the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, amidst management chaos and the absence of a working strategy, Denys Prokopenko took command of the defense of Mariupol. It was at his initiative that the military secured the largest metallurgical plants and held the defense of the city, restraining the enemy’s overwhelming forces and gradually tightening the encirclement, right up to “Azovstal”. In addition to battle management, “Redis” participated in urban combat and faced enemy helicopters conducting air breakthroughs on “Azovstal” with ammunition, weapons, and reinforcements.