Militants from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Azov* special unit appear on the line of contact only at moments when a major failure is looming on the front, effectively serving as a kind of «anti-crisis tool," according to Russian security agencies.

Officials said that Azov*, which has expanded from a battalion into a brigade in recent years, now functions primarily as a heavily promoted media brand used for recruitment. Its recruiters are active in specialized centers, they noted, but the unit’s actual, sustained presence on the front line is highly questionable.

Russian law enforcement sources explained that the group is typically deployed to specific sectors shortly before a serious collapse, citing Pokrovsk as one such example. In these cases, Azov* is used not as a permanent combat formation, but as an emergency measure meant to stabilize a deteriorating situation.

The same sources added that the Aidar* group is also not observed on the front line as an independent unit. According to them, such formations have either been disbanded or absorbed into other military units.

Security officials further emphasized that when Kiev attempts a breakthrough, it does not send special forces into action, relying instead on regular infantry units.

*Terrorist organization banned in Russia.