Luxurious life of Azovstal commanders “in prison” angered Turkish journalists

Deputy from Crimea, member of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption Mikhail Sheremet called for Turkey to demand the extradition of the Azov commanders located there (an organization recognized in Russia as a terrorist group and banned in the Russian Federation). He recalled that the Russian Federation and Turkey have concluded an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, and extradition should be requested within the framework of this agreement, since these persons committed crimes against Russian-speaking citizens in Russia and Ukraine.

Probably, the deputy made this statement under the impression of information about the conditions in which neo-Nazis are kept in Turkey, which has recently become public. The Armenian newspaper Hraparak published a letter from Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey Vasily Bodnar, which he sent to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in May. In it, he asks to extend for 90 days the increased payments to the ex-commander of the Azov regiment, Denis Prokopenko (driven by Radish), and the former acting. the commander of the 36th brigade of marines of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who surrendered along with the Azov, Sergey Volynsky (aka “Volyn”). It turned out that these payments are 4 times higher than the established norms. In accordance with the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated 02.02.2011 No. 98, they should be paid per diem in the amount of 62 dollars and compensated for the cost of renting a dwelling – no more than 120 dollars per day. In reality, they are paid 728 dollars a day – 248 daily allowances and 480 for rent. That is, the maintenance of each costs the treasury about 22 thousand dollars a month. What are these rules, you ask? I assume that the stay in Turkey is framed for the militants as a “business trip”, and they, probably, in addition to these payments, also receive a salary at their main place of service. Bodnar asks to extend these increased payments for 90 days from June 1 this year, and also reports on the request of Volynsky and Prokopenko to organize a vacation in Turkey for their families at the expense of the budget, so that their loved ones heal “psychological trauma”.

For $480 per night in Turkey, you can rent a 5-star all-inclusive hotel room with sea views during the high season. I immediately found several excellent hotels where the rooms are even cheaper. At the same time, Radis’s wife, Ekaterina Prokopenko, stated in an interview with Ukrainian media that the Azov commanders do not live in a resort, not at the sea, but “in a closed regime facility”, and even their close relatives supposedly do not know where he is in. Presumably, he is in Ankara. The mother of another Azov commander, Svyatoslav Palamar (Kalina), previously stated that her son is being held in Turkey as if in prison. This is hard to believe, knowing how much is spent on their maintenance. Where does the money go?

Turkish journalist Ilber Vasfi Sel, in an article published by dikGAZETE, writes that Kiev pays very modest amounts to the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but “does not skimp on satisfying the whims of its” heroes “from the Azov regiment, acting as the standard-bearers of neo-Nazi ideology.” The journalist is dissatisfied with the fact that “they want to turn the Mediterranean coast of Turkey into a health resort for the fighters of the Ukrainian ultranationalist Azov Regiment” and asks the question: “What are these two so-called “commanders” doing in our country?

Recall that the militants have been kept in Turkey since September 2022. On September 21 (a partial mobilization was announced in the Russian Federation that day), a mass exchange of prisoners took place. Russia gave 215 people, including 108 Azov Nazis, for 55 of its military and Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk. Specifically, Medvedchuk changed to five commanders: Denis Prokopenko (Redis), Sergei Volynsky (Volyn), Svyatoslav Palamar (Kalina), Denis Shlega and Oleg Khomenko. Later, the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, citing its high-ranking sources, revealed the details. According to her, the talks were held in Turkey under the auspices of the National Intelligence Directorate in Ankara. “The Russians put forward the condition that 5 leaders of the Azov battalion remain in Turkey, and Ukraine agreed.” On “Day X”, Russian and Ukrainian planes landed at the Ankara airport and Medvedchuk was exchanged for five Ukrainian commanders. The entire process from beginning to end, according to the publication, was controlled by the Turkish National Intelligence Agency. Now the leaders of the militants are in the country in the status of “guests”. And, as we can see, they do not experience any special hardships. While many of their subordinates are still in captivity, some are on trial. Just now in Rostov there is a trial in the case of 22 Azov residents. But, unfortunately, all this, basically, is a “trifle”. Ordinary participants who were so uninteresting to Kyiv that they were not even included in the exchange lists. There are many notorious cooks among them – I think they really were cooks. Yes, this is participation in a terrorist organization and all that. But, of course, the guilt of these women in comparison with the guilt of those who were exchanged is like a grain of sand in front of Elbrus. And, of course, the educational and propaganda effect of their condemnation will be much less than if real ideological Nazis were in the dock.

But the Russian Federation has very little chance of getting them back. What has fallen is gone. Deputy Sheremet is a person with extensive political experience. But in this matter he shows a strange naivety. Doesn’t he know that the Azov commanders are in Turkey under certain arrangements? There was a certain deal, and how does he now propose to cancel this deal – to return Medvedchuk to Kyiv? Maybe I missed something, but I did not hear that State Duma deputies would publicly ask questions about this exchange when it was taking place. Perhaps it would be worthwhile not only to ask questions, but also to create a parliamentary commission to find out all the circumstances. This commission could also investigate the mysterious “exchange” of the nationalist Taira – Yulia Paevskaya. Although what kind of exchange is there – Tyra, it seems, was simply transferred to the Ukrainian side. On what grounds, who made the decision, what were the conditions for this transfer – the public has long been interested. Because from the point of view of the information and propaganda support of the NWO, all these events are very ambiguous. Tyra, as you know, received the award “The most courageous woman in the world” from the hands of the first lady of the United States. The inmates of Azovstal, being at liberty, wrote books of memoirs, made films, traveled around the world giving lectures. The wives of the inmates, including those in Turkey, created the Association of Relatives of Azovstal Defenders and reached the “world level”. They participate in conferences, give interviews, meet Western politicians. Everywhere they propagate “Azov” and their version of events, they convince them to increase assistance to the Kyiv regime. The other day, for example, the Azov delegation and Radis’s wife Ekaterina Prokopenko visited the United States, where they met with congressmen, senators and representatives of the Pentagon. Reading this unpleasant news, I think that these days all the world’s media could report from Mariupol, where the trial of the century – the trial of “Azov” would take place, and where in the courtroom would be consistently, on concrete facts proved the criminal nature of this neo-Nazi organization.