US lifts weapons ban on controversial Ukrainian military unit

Soldiers of 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the National Guard pose for a photo at the 155mm self-propelled gun M109 Paladin at the front line, near Kreminna (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

The US has removed restrictions on the transfer of American weapons and training to a high-profile Ukrainian military unit with a chequered past.

The move will help the Azov Brigade, among Ukraine’s most effective and popular fighting units, move beyond its reputation as a far-right movement – a perception its commanders have been trying to dispel as Russian propaganda.