---
title: "Brigadier General \"Radish\" officially takes command of the \"Azov\" grouping of forces in Donetsk Oblast"
description: "On September 13, Brigadier General Denis \"Radish\" Prokopenko officially took command of the \"Azov\" grouping of forces, which will operate in Donetsk Oblast under the new system of managing the defense of the Donbas."
date: 2026-09-13T11:02:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/prokopenko-takes-command-of-azov-grouping
tags: [ukraine-war, azov, denis-prokopenko, donetsk-region, national-guard]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Brigadier General "Radish" officially takes command of the "Azov" grouping of forces in Donetsk Oblast

![Ukrainian National Guard serviceman in camouflage uniform against a symbolic winged emblem — in the context of Brigadier General 'Redis' being appointed commander of the 'Azov' group of forces in Donetsk region](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/13/prokopenko-vozglavil-gruppirovku-azov/prokopenko-vozglavil-gruppirovku-azov-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- On September 13, Brigadier General Denis "Radish" Prokopenko officially took command of the "Azov" grouping of forces in Donetsk Oblast.
- The "Azov" grouping is one of two new formations announced on August 26; the second, "Center," was placed under the command of Andriy Biletsky.
- Prokopenko is a Hero of Ukraine; he served in the "Azov" battalion in 2014 and, at 26, became the youngest regimental commander in the history of the NGU and the Armed Forces.

On September 13, Ukrainian Brigadier General Denis "Radish" Prokopenko officially took command of the "Azov" grouping of forces, which will fight in Donetsk Oblast. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement from the 1st "Azov" Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. Thus, the personnel decision previously announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, made public on August 26, has been put into practical effect: the commander of the 1st NGU Corps has effectively assumed leadership of the new operational formation in the zone of active combat operations.

### A new system for managing the defense of the Donbas

Prokopenko's appointment is part of a broader restructuring of the management of the defense of Donetsk Oblast. On August 26, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that "Radish" would head one of two newly created groupings of forces in the region, named "Azov." The second grouping — "Center" — was placed under the command of 3rd Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky, who will continue to command the corps itself. According to the published information, "Center" will be responsible for the defense of a significant part of Donetsk Oblast. Overall, the defense of the region will serve as a kind of stress test for the new system of managing the Armed Forces: if it proves effective, this approach, as envisioned by Kyiv, could be scaled up to other directions.

### "Radish's" military path: from battalion to Hero of Ukraine

Denis Prokopenko began his service in the "Azov" battalion on July 11, 2014. As part of the unit, he took part in all the major combat operations of the summer-autumn campaign, in particular in the battles for Mariynka and Ilovaisk, as well as in the defense of Mariupol. At the age of 26, "Radish" became the commander of the "Azov" regiment, becoming the youngest regimental commander in the history of the National Guard and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2022, during the defense of Mariupol, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized Prokopenko for the personal courage and heroism displayed in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine with the conferral of the Order of "Golden Star."

### Reformatting "Azov" into a professional formation

The press office of the 1st NGU Corps "Azov" emphasized that Denis Prokopenko's main merit lies in reformatting "Azov" from a volunteer unit into a professional combat formation. According to the department's assessment, it was precisely this experience that became the key argument in selecting him for the post of commander of the new grouping of forces, which is set to operate under conditions of intense combat in Donetsk Oblast.

### Context: end-of-year forecasts and new operations

Prokopenko's appointment comes against the backdrop of growing interest in the prospects for combat operations through the end of 2026. Previously, RBC-Ukraine learned what would happen to the war by the end of the year and received forecasts from the commanders of "Kharta," "Azov," and the Third Corps. In addition, "Azov" recently disclosed for the first time the results of a new operation in Donetsk Oblast, which further underscores the increased role of this formation in the overall defense system of the region.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Brigadier General Prokopenko takes command of the "Azov" grouping of forces: what is known about him](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/brigadniy-general-prokopenko-ocholiv-ugrupovannya-1789297113.html) - Основной источник: вступление Прокопенко в командование группировкой «Азов» 13 сентября, анонс Зеленского от 26 августа, биография и звание Героя Украины.
- [Ukraine's traitor: "Radish" speaks about the Russian general who was targeted in an assassination attempt](https://glavred.info/ukraine/predatel-ukrainy-redis-rasskazal-o-generale-rf-na-kotorogo-sovershili-pokushenie-10738595.html) - Подтверждено по источнику glavred.info
- [June 27 is Denis Prokopenko's birthday: how commander "Radish" is fighting](https://focus.ua/ukraine/759053-den-rozhdeniya-denisa-prokopenko-komandira-1-go-korpusa-azov) - Контекстный источник: подтверждает роль Прокопенко как командира 1-го корпуса «Азов» и его боевой путь.
- ["Azov" commander: Not a single National Guard member was released during the exchange](https://news.liga.net/war/news/komandir-azova-vo-vremya-obmena-ne-osvobodili-ni-odnogo-natsgvardeitsa) - Подтверждено по источнику news.liga.net

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who took command of the "Azov" grouping of forces and when?
**A:** On September 13, the "Azov" grouping of forces was officially placed under the command of Brigadier General Denis "Radish" Prokopenko, as reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the 1st NGU Corps "Azov."

### Q: What are the "Azov" and "Center" groupings?
**A:** These are two newly created groupings of forces in Donetsk Oblast, announced on August 26. "Azov" was placed under Prokopenko's command, while "Center" was placed under the command of 3rd Army Corps commander Andriy Biletsky, who will continue to command the corps itself.

### Q: What combat experience does Denis Prokopenko have?
**A:** He has served in "Azov" since July 11, 2014, took part in the battles for Mariynka and Ilovaisk and in the defense of Mariupol, became the youngest regimental commander in the history of the NGU and the Armed Forces at age 26, and in 2022 was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of "Golden Star."