The only real aspect of Azov that still applies is the name- they were named for a Defense Minister. Roots go all the way back to around 1982 and soccer hooligans who were "fans" of FC Metalist Kharkiv who were closely allied with the "ultras" (hooligans) of Spartak Moscow. As often happens, these ultras took on the role of paramilitary force, but they were more anti-Separatist than anti-Russian. It's complicated similar to the rivalries and ethnic jealousies in the Baltic and former Yugoslavia- the line between good and bad guys is muddled, and there are centuries of hidden bitterness just waiting to be exploited...
When "the Azov Battalion "used the 2014 Russian invasion as a pretext and justification for their territorial squabbles with "separatists", the brutality and questionable Fascist symbolism caused Ukrainian ministers to speak out and most of the pro-Fascist elements ended up leaving to pursue more overtly political interests. They kept the name and enough of the old guard remained that Putin could claim the unit was "Nazi", but that isn't really true. The hardcore Nazis left, and what really makes the situation even more difficult to decipher is that for the most part Nazis in Europe idolize Putin (the Man). A perspective published way back in 2014...
Alina Polyakova, STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: Putin and Europe's Far Right, World Affairs, Vol. 177, No. 3 (SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2014), pp. 36-40
www.jstor.org
And it's really disingenuous of Putin to claim he's trying to "de-Nazify" Ukraine (or Europe in general) since most of the Right Wing elements thruout Western Europe are pro-Putin in their orientation. They see him as the "savior of White Nationalist culture" and he's spent a great deal of the past 2 decades cultivating that image and utilizing Russian agents working within these "Right Wing parties" to undermine Western European Govts.
While U.S. intelligence agencies investigate claims that Russia secretly hacked emails to help tip last year’s elections in favor of Donald Trump, Russia’s push to bolster far-right populist politicians in Europe has been far more blatant.
www.nbcnews.com