More than 120 Ukrainian servicemen have been listed as missing after being assigned to the Azov* national battalion, according to Russian law enforcement sources.

They reported that within the 125th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 124 troops were recorded as missing over a two-month period. The data, the source said, was drawn from Ukrainian search groups tracking unaccounted personnel.

The brigade had previously been incorporated into the 3rd Army Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces known as Azov*. Command of the unit was handed to Major Vladimir Fokin, who sources describe as being close to Azov’s* founder Andrey Biletsky**.

According to the same source, the brigade commander has placed responsibility for the disappearances on subordinate unit commanders.

*Terrorist organization banned in Russia.

**Listed by Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist.