According to Biddle, the Azov regiment - which functions as an armed wing of the broader Ukrainian white nationalist Azov movement - is classified as a "Tier 1" dangerous organization under FB policy, alongside the likes of ISIS and the KKK. It began as a volunteer anti-Russia militia before officially joining the Ukrainian National Guard in 2014, and is known for its hardcore ultranationalist views and neo-Nazi ideology.

The group was formally banned by Facebook in 2019, and designated (along with several individuals) under the company's prohibition against hate groups - subject to their harshest "Tier 1" restrictions that ban users from "praise, support, or representation" of blacklisted groups across all company-owned platforms.