| 60th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Assault Battalion named afterM. S. Tolstykh | |
|---|---|
| 60-й отдельный гвардейский мотострелковый батальон (штурмовой) имени М. С. Толстых | |
 | |
| Active | 2014–present |
| Country |  Donetsk People's Republic (2014–2022) Russia (2022–present) |
| Branch | DPR People's Militia [ru](2015–2022) Russian Ground Forces (2022–present) |
| Type | Assault Battalion |
| Part of |  51st Guards Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Donetsk |
| Nickname | Somali Battalion |
| Patron | Mikhail Tolstykh |
| Colors | Black,blue,red, andwhite |
| Engagements | |
| Battle honours |   Guards |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | "Myth"[1] |
| Notable commanders | Mikhail 'Givi' Tolstykh † Timur Kurilkin [ru] |
| Insignia | |
| Former emblems |    |
| Former flag |  |
The60th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Assault Battalion named afterM. S. Tolstykh (MUN 08828;Russian:60-й отдельный гвардейский мотострелковый батальон (штурмовой) имени М. С. Толстых, в/ч 08828), also known asSomalia Battalion (Russian:Батальон Сомали), is a military unit ofRussian Ground Forces. Until January 1, 2023, it was part of the self-proclaimedDonetsk People's Republic (DPR). It is attached to the51st Guards Combined Arms Army.[2] It was commanded by Timur Kurilkin until he was appointed commander of the9th Motor Rifle Brigade.[3][4]
The Somalia Battalion was formed in the summer of 2014 inIlovaisk as the Separate Company "Somalia", and was commanded in its first few years byMikhail Tolstykh, a native of Ilovaisk who went by thenom de guerre ‘Givi’.[5] The name of the unit supposedly derived from the "irregular" look of its first fighters, and got its name because when fighters lined up for the first time "...they were dressed in all manner of civilian clothes, such as shorts and trainers, did not look like a combat force, and, in their view, resembled Somali pirates".[6]
In the fall of 2014, the company was raised to battalion strength and deployed into the 1st Separate Battalion Tactical Group “Somalia”.In early 2015, it was reformed into the Separate Mechanized Battalion “Somalia”, which in spring 2015 was renamed the 1st Separate Tank Ilovaisk Battalion. In September 2015, during another reorganization, the unit was reformed into the Separate Motor Rifle (Assault) Battalion "Somalia". The Battalion took part in the 2015 Victory Parade held inDonetsk.
On 12 February 2016, the unit was awarded the honorary designation "Guards".[7]
In February 2017, the unit's commander, Mikhail Tolstykh, was assassinated in his office with aRPO-A Shmel rocket launcher and an explosive device.[8] After the death of the commander the battalion was named after him.[7]
After Retreating fromBattle of Sloviansk,Mikhail Tolstykh and his fellow soldiers together with thenSparta Battalion,Vostok Battalion formed defense line in Illovaisk. On 31 August 2014, after Ukrainian retreat, the battalion achieved its first combat victory.
After theIlovaisk Conflict, theDPR Forces allocated to theDonetsk Airport. Somali Battalion worked withSparta Battalion and Vostok Battalion respectively during the battle.Mikhail Tolstykh andArsen Pavlov commanded their battalions to capture the terminals. Ukrainian forces left the old terminal building on 5 December due to heavy shelling by DPR forces but continued to maintain their positions at the new terminal building. At this time, it was reported that the old terminal building had become the main battleground at the airport.
%2c_16_January_2015.jpg)
The strategic air traffic control tower, which Ukrainian forces used to observe insurgent ground movements, remained under Ukrainian control. It was under constant bombardment by DPR artillery. Government forces attacked the DPR-controlled old terminal building on 12 January, but this attack was repelled by DPR forces. After four days of heavy shelling of the airport, DPR forces pushed back Ukrainian troops on 14 January, and captured one-third of the new terminal building. Soldiers from the Battalion shelled the air control tower with Soviet Artillery leading it to collapse. After shelling the new terminal,Sparta Battalion captured the remaining wounded Ukrainian Soldiers.
On 29 January 2017, Battle of Avdiivka started after the Ukrainian Army seized a small part of road. Dpr forces shelled the city which lead to 17,000 people without water, electricity and heat. On 4 February, the battle eventually stopped after a ceasefire of brokered.
After their commanderGivi got killed, the battalion participated in nearly no engagements with theUkrainian Ground Forces. On 24 February 2022, hours after the speech of PresidentVladimir Putin,[9][10][11][12] DPR forces, primarily Somali Battalion started shelling theMariupol direction with artillery. Days after heavy fighting with assisted firepower from810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade, the battalion capturedMariupol. The battalion got incorporated with9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. The battalion participated in theBattle of Avdiivka.[13]
The battalion hasT-64 andT-72 tanks,BMP-1,BTR-70,MT-LB andBRDM-2 armoured fighting vehicles as well as supporting artillery, mortars and transport vehicles.[citation needed]
