Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has conferred the rank of brigadier general upon Denis Prokopenko, the commander of the National Guard of Ukraine’s Azov regiment. This announcement was made in accordance with decree No. 195/2026.
“To confer the military rank of brigadier general to Colonel Denis Hennadiyovych Prokopenko, commander of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine ‘Azov’,” the decree states.
Denis Prokopenko, born on June 27, 1991, is a graduate of the Kyiv National Linguistic University, where he studied to become a teacher of English and German. He joined the Azov unit as a volunteer in 2014, rising through the ranks from platoon commander to the head of the unit.
In 2017, he became the youngest commander of the Special Operations Detachment ‘Azov’. During Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Prokopenko led the defense of Mariupol. After the city was surrounded, Ukrainian forces held their ground at the Azovstal steel plant. On May 16, 2022, he reported the execution of orders from higher military command to preserve the lives of personnel, and on May 20, the garrison was ordered to cease defense operations. Approximately 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers exited the plant and were taken prisoner by Russian forces.
On May 6, 2022, Prokopenko’s wife, Kateryna, initiated a petition to the United Nations and its Secretary-General António Guterres, requesting assistance in evacuating civilians and military personnel from Azovstal. She later sought help from the Pope.
On March 19, 2022, Prokopenko was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine. Subsequently, on September 21, 2022, a prisoner exchange took place in Chernihiv Oblast, resulting in the release of 215 Ukrainian soldiers, including 108 members of the Azov regiment, in exchange for 200 Ukrainian defenders and Viktor Medvedchuk.
In a separate exchange involving five commanders, Ukraine handed over 55 individuals to Russia. Prokopenko and fellow defenders, including Serhiy Volynskyi, Sviatoslav Palamar, Oleg Khomenko, and Denys Shlega, were later extracted to Turkey under the protection of President Erdoğan. President Zelensky stated that the Azovstal commanders would remain in Turkey until the war’s conclusion.
On July 8, 2023, it was reported that the commanders who had been in Turkey following their release from Russian captivity, including Prokopenko, Palamar, Volynskyi, Khomenko, and Shlega, were returning to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promoted Denis Prokopenko to brigadier general, recognizing his leadership during critical military engagements. Prokopenko's journey from a volunteer to a high-ranking officer highlights his significant contributions to Ukraine's defense efforts.