Ukraine's Azov Regiment visits Israel: 'Mariupol is our Masada'
Azov officer Ilya Samoilenko, one of the defenders of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, led the delegation to Israel.
By
TZVI JOFFRE
Published: DECEMBER 20, 2022 10:11
Updated: DECEMBER 20, 2022 10:13
People carry placards and flags during a ceremony for Ukraine independence day and a protest against the Russian invasion to the Ukraine in Tel Aviv on August 24, 2022.
(photo credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)
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A delegation from Ukraine's
Azov Regiment visited Israel in recent days, meeting with officials and IDF reservists and speaking about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The delegation arrived in Israel on Thursday and was led by Azov officer Ilya Samoilenko, one of the soldiers who barricaded themselves beneath the Azovstal steelworks during attempts to protect Mariupol from the Russian invasion earlier this year. Joining him in leading the delegation was Yuliya Fedosyuk, deputy head of the Association of Azovstal Defenders' Families.
«Азов» в Ізраїлі Розпочалась робоча поїздка в Ізраїль військовослужбовця полку «Азов» Іллі Самойленка та заступниці голови Асоціації родин захисників «Азовсталі» Юлії Федосюк. Деталі:
https://t.co/fpwrtpT4Sy pic.twitter.com/ooBRFHRnpL
— Асоціація родин захисників «Азовсталі» (@AzovstalFam)
December 15, 2022 [Ilya Samoylenko, a serviceman of the Azov Regiment, and Yulia Fedosyuk, deputy chairman of the Association of families of defenders of Azovstal, have started their working trip to Israel. Details:
https://t.co/fpwrtpT4Sy pic.twitter.com/ooBRFHRnpL - Association of families of defenders of Azovstal (@AzovstalFam)]
Samoilenko was taken prisoner by Russia after weeks under siege in the Azvostal steelworks and was released in a prisoner swap in September.
The delegation came to Israel to advocate for members of the Azov Regiment who are still being held as prisoners, to speak about the defense of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol and to counter Russian reports and statements about the regiment and the ongoing war.
The visit was initiated by the Israeli Friends of Ukraine organization and with the support of the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel and the Nadav Foundation.
Service members of the Ukrainian armed forces are seen within the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works complex in Mariupol, Ukraine, in this handout picture taken May 7, 2022 (credit: Dmytro Orest Kozatskyi/Azov regiment press service /Handout via REUTERS)
On Saturday, the delegation visited Masada, where some of the last Jewish rebels held out against the Roman army in 73 CE.
"The feat of the Mariupol defenders in 2022 shocked the whole world," said the delegation. "In this fierce resistance to the Russian occupation, various peoples of the world saw parallels with various episodes of their own history, comparing the Ukrainian heroes of today with their heroes of the past. All of them had one thing in common - an uncompromising, sometimes doomed struggle for their independence. The rank of people who, in the battle for their freedom, sacrifice everything, permeates the entirety of history."
"When today in Israel we talk about the defense of Mariupol, the Israelis, understanding, first of all, the military differences between the war 2,000 years ago and today, constantly repeat: 'Mariupol is your Masada.'"
"When today in Israel we talk about the defense of Mariupol, the Israelis, understanding, first of all, the military differences between the war 2,000 years ago and today, constantly repeat: 'Mariupol is your Masada.' And we will definitely return there."
Samoilenko and Fedosyuk also met with reservists from the IDF during the visit to Israel, including a Ukrainian from Luhansk and another from Mariupol. The Azov delegation spoke with the reservists about service in the regiment and in the IDF and the similarities and differences between the militaries of Ukraine and Israel.
The Azov delegation additionally participated in screenings of a documentary about the siege of Mariupol called "The Untold Truth About Mariupol," which records the stories of people who were sent to Russian "filtration camps" after the siege and experienced torture, harsh interrogations and even had their children abducted from them. The film, produced by the BIHUS team of journalists and attorneys, was screened in Tel Aviv and Haifa this week.
After the screenings, Samoilenko spoke about Russia's actions during the siege of Mariupol and about Ukrainian soldiers who fought alongside him who are still being held by Russia.
Anna Zharova, a founder of Israeli Friends of Ukraine, called the delegation's visit the organization's "most important project since the beginning of the war."