FACT CHECK: No, Lego Did Not Create Figurines Of Ukraine’s Azov Regiment

A post shared on Facebook purportedly shows an official Lego set featuring figurines depicting members of Ukraine’s Azov Battalion. 

Verdict: False

The photos show a set of custom-built Lego figures. A Lego spokesperson confirmed the images do not depict an official product.

Fact Check: 

The Azov Battalion is a Ukrainian “far-right all-volunteer infantry military unit whose members – estimated at 900 – are ultra-nationalists and accused of harbouring neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology,” according to Al-Jazeera. Members of the battalion have been involved in some of the heaviest fighting throughout the war in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The Facebook post claims that Lego recently created official figurines of members of the battalion. Several images of the figurines, which carry rifles and wear fatigues, are included in the post.

“LEGO created figures of steel heroes of Azovstal,” reads the post, which goes on to name specific Azov soldiers the company allegedly reproduced in Lego form. (RELATED: No, Lego Did Not Release A ‘Capitol Invasion’ Toy Set Two Months Ago)

While the figurines are legitimate, they are not official Lego products. Check Your Fact found no mention of the alleged new set on Lego’s website. There are likewise no credible news reports about Lego releasing such a product. 

“These are not official LEGO products and are in no way associated with the LEGO Group,” said a Lego spokesperson in an email to Check Your Fact.

The images first appeared on various Twitter accounts with claims that they depict custom-made figures, not official Lego products.

The @DefenceU Marines, @ng_ukraine guards, @TDF_UA volunteers, and other #AzovstalDefenders who held out in Mariupol for nearly 3 months, bogging down the 🇷🇺 army and allowing 🇺🇦 to win the Battle of Kyiv.

(Custom #LEGO minifigs – not official products.) pic.twitter.com/YlVPX1HfrJ

— Andrew Becraft 🇯🇵🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AndrewBecraft) July 20, 2022

“The @DefenceU Marines, @ng_ukraine guards, @TDF_UA volunteers, and other #AzovstalDefenders who held out in Mariupol for nearly 3 months, bogging down the 🇷🇺 army and allowing 🇺🇦 to win the Battle of Kyiv,” reads one tweet that includes a Disclaimer clarifying the figures were “custom #LEGO minifigs.”

“You can get most of the parts I used from @brickmaniatoys, although these particular figures are one-off creations that aren’t for sale,” said one Twitter user who shared images of the figures.

Brickmania, a third-party Lego creator that focuses on military building kits and other accessories, likewise clarified in a tweet that it “did not create these figures.”