Battalion Donbass
|
Донбас (Donbass) |
|
|---|---|
 Badge of the battalion "Donbass" |
|
| Lineup | 2014 |
| Type | battalion |
| Strength | 900 fighters |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Semen Sementchenko |
The Donbass Battalion ( Ukrainian Батальйон Донбас) ; Territorial Defense Battalion; Sometimes referred to in media reports as the "Donetsk Battalion", it is a voluntary Ukrainian combat unit founded in April 2014.
history
The association was set up in the context of the crisis in Ukraine in 2014 on the initiative of the businessman and former Ukrainian officer Semen Sementschenko to militarily fight the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine . Sementschenko, who describes himself as the unit's commander, justified this step, among other things, with the weakness of the Ukrainian army during the Crimean crisis and at the beginning of the crisis in eastern Ukraine. The battalion is financed only from private donations, its relatives are exclusively volunteers who receive brief military training in special camps. The task force is not integrated into the Ukrainian army, but formally subordinated to the Interior Ministry of Ukraine or the National Guard .
From May 2014, the battalion was used in combat operations in eastern Ukraine. On May 23, at least seven members of the unit were killed in a battle near Karlivka in Donetsk Oblast .
According to its own information, the unit had around 800 members in June 2014. About 75% of them came from the Donbass region . The association also includes foreign volunteers who come from Belarus , Georgia , Russia and Spain , among others . Foreign nationals who belong to the battalion must be resident in Ukraine.
On June 29, members of the Donbass battalion, as well as other combat units, demonstrated in Kiev against an extension of the unilateral armistice of June 21, 2014. They called on Ukrainian President Poroshenko to end the ceasefire and to impose martial law . They demanded better weapons equipment in order to resume the recently stopped “anti-terrorist operation” against pro-Russian separatists.
literature
Heinemann-Grüder, Andreas: Hostage taker or savior of the state? Irregular battalions in Ukraine. In: Eastern Europe, 3–4, 2019, pp. 51–80. P. 69f.
Individual evidence
- ↑ https://iwpr.net/global-voices/volunteers-bolster-ukraines-fighting-force
- ↑ S. Pashynskyi: Battalions of territorial defense are being established in Ukraine. (No longer available online.) In: Press office of President Poroshenko. Oficial website. April 30, 2014, archived from the original on October 2, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Ukraine partisans battling separatists raise concerns. In: Financial Times . May 22, 2014, accessed September 21, 2014 .
- ↑ Christopher J. Miller: Volunteer Donbass Battalion takes up arms to defend Ukraine, defeat separatists. In: Kyiv Post . May 14, 2014, accessed September 28, 2014 .
- ^ Regarding the armed fight involving the Donbas Battalion on May 23 near Karlivka. May 24, 2014, accessed October 15, 2014 .
- ^ Andrew Roth: Ukraine Faces Struggle to Gain Control of Militias, Including Those on Its Side. In: New York Times . May 23, 2014, accessed September 28, 2014 .
- ^ Donbas Battalion trains for war as newest members of the Ukrainian National Guard. In: Kyiv Post. June 9, 2014, accessed September 28, 2014 .
- ↑ Poroshenko orders a ceasefire. In: Tagesschau.de . June 20, 2014, archived from the original on June 23, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 .
- ↑ Hundreds protest against the ceasefire in Ukraine. (No longer available online.) In: Die Zeit . June 29, 2014, archived from the original on October 20, 2014 ; accessed on October 14, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
Web links
- Website of the Donbass Battalion ,
- Report on the Donbass Battalion , Vice News , accessed July 1, 2014