Denis Prokopenko

Hero of Ukraine, Ukrainian officer, lieutenant colonel of the National Guard of Ukraine, commander of the Separate Special Purpose Detachment "Azov". His call sign is "Redis".On February 24, 2022, "Azov" under the command of Denis Prokopenko took up the defence of Mariupol and the surrounding villages, where Russia had superior forces. For 86 days, the soldiers defended the city while encircled.After an order from the top military leadership, he withdrew his subordinates from "Azovstal" and surrendered. From May 20 to September 21, he was held in Russian captivity. He was interned in Turkey and will remain there until the war ends.