The Kremlin has expressed vehement disapproval of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to repatriate several Ukrainian commanders who should have remained in Turkey until the end of the conflict under a deal.

The Ukrainian presidency had earlier confirmed that members of the crack Azov regiment were returned to Ukraine after "negotiations with the Turkish side." President Zelensky had personally welcomed them upon their arrival at Istanbul airport. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov voiced Russia's strong opposition to the move, calling it a "direct violation" of the agreement.

He noted that both Ukraine and Turkey had broken the terms of the accord that required the men to stay in Turkey until the end of the struggle. Furthermore, Peskov claimed that the repatriation was related to the "failure of the counter-offensive" launched by Ukraine and Turkey's desire to demonstrate its "solidarity" in the run-up to the July 11-12 NATO summit in Vilnius.

He stated that there had been a lot of pressure on Turkey to do so in the lead up to the summit. The Azov regiment of the Ukrainian army, which was founded on the basis of the ultranationalist battalion of the same name, was captured by Russian forces after Mariupol fell in May 2022.

Russia has sharply criticized the Azov regiment, labeling it a "terrorist group" and demanding its dissolution. In sum, the Kremlin has made its disapproval of Zelensky's decision to repatriate the Ukrainian commanders clear, arguing that both Ukraine and Turkey had breached the agreement that the men should remain in Turkey until the conflict was over.

Moreover, Peskov asserted that the return was linked to the "failure of the counter-offensive" launched by Ukraine and the lead up to the NATO summit in Vilnius.