The commander of the 1st battalion of the Azov regiment, Oleg Mudrak, who spent several months in Russian captivity, has died. His nephew Daniel wrote about this on Instagram.
“Mudrak Oleg Vasilyevich is a major, a hero, a man of steel, my uncle, my brother, my support, my pride, my beacon and an example of character! He burned this life, enjoyed and lit the hearts of all the people around,” he wrote.
He does not indicate the cause of death. The wife of Azov Commander Denis Prokopenko, Ekaterina, posted a story on Instagram, which says that 35-year-old Mudrak’s heart stopped.
Oleg Mudrak took part in the defense of the port city of Mariupol, which has been under siege since the beginning of March 2022. The fighters of the Azov regiment and other Ukrainian units were then blocked at the Azovstal plant. In May last year, he was captured by the Russians. He managed to survive the terrorist attack in the colony in Yelenovka. His photo – before and after captivity – was published on his Twitter page by journalist Stanislav Aseev.
On May 16, the first fighters from Azovstal were delivered to the occupied territory of Donbass. On May 21, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the plant had come under the control of Russian troops. It was alleged that a total of 2,439 Ukrainian soldiers who were on the territory of the plant surrendered. In September, as a result of the exchange of prisoners of war between Ukraine and Russia, Oleg Mudrak, among others, returned home.
Formation “Azov” was founded in 2014 as a volunteer battalion, at its origins were far-right activists. At the same time, many Azov fighters emphasize that they are not neo-Nazis, and the regiment itself has become an integral part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
