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| Russian people's militias in Ukraine | |
|---|---|
 TheFlag of Novorossiya, which was used as a battle flag by separatist forces | |
| Founded | March 2014 (as theDonbas People's Militia) |
| Leadership | |
| Supreme Commanders-in-Chief |  Denis Pushilin Leonid Pasechnik |
| Commanders of the People's Militia Directorate | Major General Denis Sinenkov[1] Guards Colonel Yan Leshchenko[2] |
| Personnel | |
| Active personnel | ~44,000 (2021)[3] |
| Industry | |
| Foreign suppliers |  Russia[4] |
| Related articles | |
| History | |
Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, primarily thePeople's Militias of theDonetsk People's Republic (DPR) and theLuhansk People's Republic (LPR),[nb 1] were pro-Russianparamilitaries in theDonbas region of eastern Ukraine. They were under the overall control of theRussian Federation.[5] They were also referred to asRussian proxy forces.[6] They were active during thewar in Donbas (2014–2022), the first stage of theRusso-Ukrainian War. They then supported theRussian Armed Forces against theUkrainian Armed Forces during the2022 Russian invasion. In September 2022,Russia annexed the DPR and LPR, and began integrating the paramilitaries into its armed forces.[7] They are designated asterrorist groups by thegovernment of Ukraine.[8]
The separatist paramilitaries were formed during the2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The Donbas People's Militia was formed in March 2014 byPavel Gubarev, who proclaimed himself "People's Governor" ofDonetsk Oblast,[9] while the Army of the South-East was formed inLuhansk Oblast. The Donbas war began in April 2014 after these groups seized Ukrainian government buildings in the Donbas, leading the Ukrainian military to launch itsAnti-Terrorist Operation against them.
During the Donbas war, Russianfar-right groups were heavily involved in recruiting for the separatists, and many far-right activists joined them and formed volunteer units.[10][11] The Russian separatists have been held responsible forwar crimes, among them the shootdown ofMalaysia Airlines Flight 17[12] and theMariupol rocket attacks, which they have denied.[13] The militias were also responsible for illegal abductions, detention, and torture of civilians of the Donbas.[14]
The separatist paramilitaries were supported by, and were proxies of, the Russian Armed Forces.[15] Ukraine, the United States, and some analysts deemed them to be under the command of Russia's8th Combined Arms Army.[16][17][18][19] Although theRussian government often denied direct involvement, evidence suggested otherwise.[20] The separatists admitted receiving weaponry and supplies from Russia, being trained there, and having thousands ofRussian citizens in their ranks.[20][21][22] By September 2015, the separatist units, at the battalion level and up, were acting under the command ofRussian Army officers.[23] In 2023, Russia acknowledged separatists who fought in the Donbas war as being eligible to receive Russiancombat veteran status.[24]
Although called "militias",[25] shortly before the 2022 Russian invasion, the separatist republics beganforced conscription of men to fight for Russia.[26][27] The Donbas conscripts have been described as the "cannon fodder" of the Russian forces;[28][29] by November 2022 the casualty rate of the separatist units was almost 50%, according to official separatist sources.[29]
On 3 March 2014, during the2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine, groups of protesters took control of the regional administration building inDonetsk.[30] An armed opposition group named the Donbas People's Militia, led byPavel Gubarev, participated.[30] This happened when 11 Ukrainian cities with significant populations ofethnic Russians erupted in demonstrations against the new Ukrainian government.[30] On 6 April 2014, 2,000pro-Russian protesters rallied outside the regional administration building.[31] On the same day, groups of protesters inEastern Ukraine stormed the regional administration building inKharkiv, and theSBU headquarters inLuhansk.[9] The groups created a people's council and demanded areferendum like the one held in Crimea.[31][nb 2]
On 12 April, armed members of the Donbas People's Militia seized government buildings inKramatorsk andSloviansk,[40] and set up checkpoints and barricades.[41][42][43] The same day, former members of the Donetsk "Berkut" unit joined the ranks of the Donbas People's Militia.[44]
On 13 April, the newly established Ukrainian government gave the separatists a deadline to disarm or face a "full-scale anti-terrorist campaign" in the region.[45] Later that day, the first reports came in of fighting between the people's militia and Ukrainian troops near Sloviansk, with casualties on both sides.[46] On 14 April, members of the Donbas People's Militia blocked Ukrainian militaryKrAZ trucks armed withGrad missiles from entering the city.[47][48]On 15 April, a full scale "Anti-Terrorist Operation" was launched by the Ukrainian government with aim of restoring their authority over the areas seized by the militia.[49]
On 16 April, the militia entered Sloviansk with sixBMD airborne amphibious trackedinfantry fighting vehicles[51][52] they had obtained from elements of the25th Airborne Brigade[53] who had switched allegiance.[54][55][56] A Ukrainian military column was disarmed after the vehicles were blockaded by locals in Kramatorsk.[57] The militia also received a2S9 "Nona-S" self-propelled 120 mm mortar.[58][59] On April 20, an unidentified armed group in civilian clothes attacked a militia checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Sloviansk. Three attackers and three members of the militia were killed.[60] On May 14, eight members of the militia seized an IMR armored vehicle fromNovokramatorsky Mashinostroitelny Zavod.[61]
On May 15, the Donbas People's Militia sent an ultimatum to Kyiv. They demanded the withdrawal of all Ukrainian troops fromDonetsk oblast. On May 17, several members of the militia seized twoBRDM unarmed armored vehicles fromSeverodonetsk andLysychansk (Luhansk Oblast)[62] On May 22, theFederal State of Novorossiya was declared. On May 23, several members of the people's militia seized anotherBRDM-RKh unarmed armored vehicle from Loskutovka (Luhansk Oblast)[63]
In July 2014, the estimated manpower of the separatists was around 10,000–20,000.[64][65]
The militia were widely suspected to have been involved in the downing of a civilian airliner,Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, on 17 July 2014.[66]
On August 8, the militia claimed that after battles near the Russian border, they had captured 67 pieces of equipment in varying conditions (serviceable equipment lacking ammunition or fuel, with faults, damaged in battle and completely unusable), including 18 "Grad" multiple rocket launching systems, 15tanks andarmored personnel carriers,howitzers,MANPADS, etc.[67] As of August 12, the militia had at least 200 armored vehicles.[68]
July and early August were disastrous for the militias, with many analysts saying they were on the verge of defeat, before a sudden counteroffensive, which theUkrainian government said was supported by Russian troops,encircled thousands of Ukrainian troops and forced them into a retreat.[69] The militias soon re-captured several strategic positions such asSavur-Mohyla andLuhansk International Airport.[70]
In September 2014, the DNR and LNR People's Militias became the 1st Army Corps[71] and 2nd Army Corps[72] of theUnited Armed Forces of Novorossiya (Russian:Объединённые Вооруженные Силы Новороссии; acronym NAF),[73][74][75] which was to be the army of the proposedNovorossiya (New Russia) political union. Lieutenant General Ivan Korsun became itscommander-in-chief.[76] The Novorossiya project was suspended in May 2015 due to infighting,[71] but the two separatist armies would still operate in an unified manner.[77]
On 2 February 2015, Head of the DPR,Alexander Zakharchenko, announced that there would be a general mobilization in the DPR of 10,000 volunteers, and he aimed to eventually expand the NAF to 100,000 soldiers.[78]
In March 2015, the estimated manpower of the separatists rose to 30,000–35,000 personnel.[79]
On 20 May 2015 the leadership of the Federal State of Novorossiya announced the termination of the confederation 'project'[80][81] but the United Armed Forces was retained as the joint armed service of the DPR and LPR.[77]
The Ukrainian government in mid-2015 claimed there were about 42,500 fighters on the separatists' side, which include 9,000 Russian soldiers.[82]
During theprelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republic started a process ofmass mobilization of its population in order to build an army for the Russian invasion. As there weren't enough volunteers in the separatist army, and the Russian government wasn't willing to start mobilization of its own population, men from ages 18 until 65 from any background were conscripted to form the separatist army.[26][27] Groups of DPR/LPR officers roamed the streets searching for men at the age range, arresting and sending to conscription offices any they found.[83] In some regions, up to 80% of employees of local enterprises were called up, which led to the shutdown of mines (the main source of employment in the Donbas) and public transport, resulting in the paralysis of city and public services.[84]
Most of the Donbas conscripts are unexperienced, received little-to-no training and were badly equipped, and suffered from morale issues and heavy casualties.[85] The role of Donbas conscripts by Russian forces has been described as "cannon fodder".[28] There were reports of conscipts being issued antiquated equipment such asWorld War I-eraMosin–Nagant rifles and the earlyCold War-eraT-62 tanks.[85][29] By November, the DPR ombudsman reported that the DPR militia suffered almost 20,000 casualties (bothwounded in action andkilled in action), translating into a staggering 50% casualty rate, with outside observers believing it could possibly be higher.[29]The mass conscription has been considered awar crime by some, as the Article 51 of theFourth Geneva Convention bans the forceful conscription of soldiers from occupied territory, but Russian authorities claimed they are part of the independent sovereign nations of theDonetsk People's Republic andLuhansk People's Republic.[86]
After the leaders of the Russian proxy republics signed treaties of annexation with the Russian president on September 30, 2022, theRussian State Duma approved legislation on October 3 mandating the integration of the "people's militias" into the Russian military, backdated to the date of annexation.[7] Upon the "annexation" of Ukrainian territories in September 2022, Russian occupation officials began forcibly conscripting Ukrainian men in occupied parts of Kherson oblast, and were reportedly ready to mobilize 3,000 in occupied Zaporizhzhia oblast.[87][88]
On 31 December 2022, Putin visited the Southern Military District headquarters inRostov-on-Don to present battle colours to representatives of the militias and a command academy in Donetsk, referring to them as the1st Donetsk Army Corps and2nd Guards Luhansk-Sievierodonetsk Army Corps.[89] In January 2023 the Russian defence ministry announced that "self-sufficient force groupings" would be established in Ukraine, and in February that fourRussian-claimed oblasts in southeastern Ukraine were placed under command of theSouthern Military District of theRussian Ground Forces,[90] part of a long-term effort to integrate various irregular forces.[91] On February 19, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Militias were formally integrated into the command structure of the Russian Armed Forces.[92]
 | Parts of this article (those related to unit lists) need to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2023) |
The militias consist of different armed groups, sworn to theDonetsk People's Republic andLuhansk People's Republic. Militant groups which refused to do so were disarmed as gangs in the DPR.[93] Other groups are autonomous forces.[94]
According toUkrainskyi Tyzhden, a Donetsk Operative Command set up in May 2016 by Russia coordinates the military efforts of the Donetsk People's Republic.[95] The tank battalions they claim Russia can deploy include the DPR Diesel Battalion, and LPR August Battalion.[95]Euromaidan Press reported in September 2018 that the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya comprised two armycorps: the 1st Corps, called the "People's Militia of the DNR" and the 2nd Corps, called "People's Militia of the LNR".[96]
On 28 December 2018 commander of theUkrainian NavyIhor Voronchenko claimed that the DPR had created aflotilla stationed atNovoazovsk, made up of about 25 converted fishing boats.[97] According to Voronchenko, the DPR had named this flotilla the "9th Regiment of the Marine Corps".[97]
People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic (Russian:Народная милиция Донецкой Народной Республики,lit. 'People's Militia of the Donetsk People's Republic'), or1st Army Corps (DPR) – Formed on 14 November 2014.
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1st Slavyansk Brigade (Russian:1-ая Славянская бригада) – Brigade formerly commanded byIgor "Strelkov" Girkin. He was the Minister of Defense of allied separatist militias in the DPR and LPR from 16 May to 14 August 2014. Strelkov's name was later revealed to be Igor Girkin, aMoscow-born Russian,Army veteran and formerFSB agent.[98][99]
Diesel Battalion (Russian:Батальон «Дизель») – Separate tank battalion formed in 2015, equipped with Soviet equipment, includingT-72B1s.[95][100]
Oplot 5th Separate Infantry Brigade orOplot Brigade (Russian:Батальон «Оплот», meaning "Bulwark Battalion") – First commanded byAlexander Zakharchenko.[101][102] Originally a Donbas People's Militia battalion, it expanded to a brigade by September 2014 during the DPR militia restructuring.[103]
Russian Imperial Legion (Russian:Имперский легион) is the military arm of the Russian Imperial Movement, a Russian white supremacist Orthodox nationalist organization that has recruited thousands to fight for the separatists.[104][105][106] Imperial Legion and RIM have been recognized as a terrorist movement byCanada andUnited States for their links to neo-fascist terrorists.[107]
Sparta Battalion (Russian:Батальон «Спарта») – Special forces battalion formed and led byArsen Pavlov, known asMotorola, until his assassination in 2016. His successor wasVladimir Zhoga, from Sloviansk, and known byVoha.[108] Zhoga was killed in battle in March 2022 during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[109]
1st Separate Battalion-Tactical Group "Somalia" orSomalia Battalion (Russian:Батальон «Сомали») – Tactical group led by Lieutenant colonelMikhail Tolstykh, known asGivi until his assassination in 2017.[110] In 2022 the Battalion's leader was Lieutenant Colonel Timur Kurilkin.[111]
DShRG Rusich (Russian:ДШРГ «Русич») – Special forces-type company affiliated with the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group[112] and commanded by Aleksey Milchakov, a RussianNeo Nazi.[113] Made up of far-right Russian and other European volunteers.[114] On July 10, 2015, Milchakov announced that the Rusich Company would be withdrawing from Donbas for retraining and refitting.[115] In April 2022, it was reported that Rusich had returned to eastern Ukraine, this time as part of the private military companyWagner Group.[112]
Kalmius Brigade (Russian:Бригада «Кальмиус») – Special forces brigade commanded by Sergei Petrovskiy.[117]
Vostok Brigade (Russian:Бригада «Восток», meaning "East Brigade") – Special forces brigade founded and led byAlexander Khodakovsky.[118][119] It has foreign volunteers including Russians andNorth Ossetians.[120] Begun as a battalion, as of June 2014 it had about 500 men, according to Khodakovsky.[120] It later expanded to a brigade.[121]
DPR Republican Guard (Russian:Республиканская гвардия ДНР) – Elite unit created by Alexander Zakharchenko on January 12, 2015.[124][125] Commanded by Major-general Ivan Kondratov, and composed of six battalions that total more than 3,000 fighters.[125]
Slavic Unification and Revival Battalion orSvarozhich Battalion – formed by members of theRodnovery (Slavic native faith) movement, at its peak 1,200 fighters, now part of the Vostok Brigade.[126][127]
International Brigade "Pyatnashka" (Russian:Бригада «Пятнашка», meaning "15th Brigade") – International brigade commanded by Akhra Avidzba, known byAbkhaz. DPR positions inMarinka are held by this unit.[128]
Mariupol-Khingan Naval Infantry (Russian:Мариупольско-Хинганский морская пехота) – Formed in 2016. The name is based on the SovietWorld War II221st Infantry Mariupol-Khingan Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle Division.
2nd Territorial Defense Battalion "Miner's Division" (Russian:Шахтёрская дивизия) – Reorganized into a territorial defensive battalion after September 2014.
People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic (Russian:Народная милиция Луганской Народной Республики,lit. 'People's Militia of the Luhansk People's Republic'), or2nd Lugansk-Severodonetsk Guards Army Corps (LPR) – Formed on 7 October 2014.
4th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade
4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade
6th Separate Cossack Motorized Rifle Brigade named afterAtamanMatvei Platov.
Zarya Battalion (Russian:Батальон «Заря», meaning "Dawn Battalion") – First commander wasIgor Plotnitsky.[131] Commanded by Andrei Patrushev..png)
Cossacks Motorized Brigade –Don Cossack volunteer group commanded by Rashid Shakirzanov.[94] The group has over 4,000 fighters and access to armor and artillery.[94] From May to November 2014, the group was commanded byAtaman Nikolai Kozitsyn.[94][132] Kozitsyn was forcibly removed from power in November 2014 and replaced by Shakirzanov.[94] The group's headquarters is inAntratsyt, and their rule expands toKrasnyi Luch.[94] Initially, this group was identified asRussian Special Forces by theU.S. State Department following the takeover of the Sloviansk city council.[133] In November 2014, the group instated capital punishment inPerevalsk to deter crime.[134] Kozitsyn stated that there is no more marauding, burglaries or car-jacking in the city.[134] They refused to join the LPR's military command, but cooperate with them, remaining autonomous and controlling territory.[94]
First Cossack Regiment (Russian:Первый казачий полк) – Don Cossack volunteer group commanded by Ataman Pavel Dryomov. The group has around 1,300 fighters, and its headquarters is inStakhanov.[94] Originally part of Kozitsyn's Cossack National Guard until it split in September 2014.[94] Dryomov denounced the LPR's leadership as corrupt and "pro-oligarchic".[94] Dryomov was killed on 12 December 2015 when his car was blown up by an unknown perpetrator the day after his wedding.[136]
Interbrigades – Russian volunteers –national-bolsheviks,[137][138] members ofThe Other Russia.[139][140]
Mechanized Brigade "Prizrak" orPrizrak Brigade (Russian:Бригада «Призрак», meaning "Ghost Brigade") –Mechanized infantry brigade commanded by Yuri Shevchenko, formed and led byAleksey Mozgovoy until his assassination on 23 May 2015.[98] The group keeps its distance from LPR authorities and is based inAlchevsk and the surrounding district.[94]
Continental Unit (French:Unité Continentale) – French, Serbian and Brazilian volunteer group.[141][142]Donetsk People's Republic
Donbas People's Militia (Russian:Народное ополчение Донбасса) – Main militia of the Donetsk People's Republic from 3 March to 16 September 2014.
Russian Orthodox Army (Russian:Русская православная армия) – A senior commander of the unit is Alexander Verin.[102] One of the armed groups which controlDonetsk, mostly composed of locals from coal mine towns.[145] It reportedly had 100 members at its founding. According to Ukrainian sources, in June 2014 it had at least 350 fighters.[146] According to independent sources, as fighting between separatists and theUkrainian government worsened inDonbas, membership rose to 4,000.[147] In September 2014, the ROA changed its format and merged with the newly created Oplot 5th Separate Infantry Brigade of the DPR People's Militia.[103]Miners' Division (Russian:Шахтёрская дивизия) – Founded shortly after the rebel withdrawal from Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, commanded by Konstantin Kuzmin. Fighters range from ages 22–60. Composed of former coal miners.[149] Reorganized into a territorial defensive battalion after September 2014.Kalmius Battalion (Russian:Бригада «Кальмиус») – Special forces battalion commanded by Sergei Petrovskiy.[117] Formerly a subsidiary of the Miner's Division, until they split post-September 2014.
Death Battalion – Unit composed mostly of Chechen volunteers from Russia sent by Ramzan Kadyrov. It was commanded by Apti Bolotkhanov.[151]
Jovan Šević Detachment (Serbian:одред «Јован Шевић») – SerbianChetnik-led group commanded by Bratislav Živković, with 450 fighters.[152]
Orthodox Dawn (Bulgarian:Православна Зора) –Bulgarian nationalist volunteer group.[153]
Legion of Saint Stephen (Russian:Легион Святого Иштвана) –Hungarian subgroup of international battalions.[154] The group espouses aHungarian nationalist platform, demanding self-determination for the Hungarian minority inZakarpattia Oblast,[155] and has been accused of being close to the far-rightJobbik party in Hungary.[156]
Carlos Palomino International Brigade (Spanish: Brigada Internacional Carlos Palomino) –Spanishantifascist volunteer group.[157]
Varyag Battalion (Russian:Батальон «Варяг»), meaning "Varangian Battalion," and named for a Russian volunteer Nazi[158] brigade – Volunteer battalion commanded by Alexander Matyushin, a neo-Nazi and former head of Donetsk Russkiy Obraz.[159][160][161]Luhansk People's Republic
Army of the South-East (Russian:Армия Юго-Востока)[162][163][164][165] – Main militia forces of the Luhansk People's Republic from mid April to 16 September 2014.Great Host of Don Cossacks[166] – An international organisation that recruited volunteers from Ukraine and Russia.[167]
Rapid Response Group "Batman" orBatman Battalion (Russian:Группа быстрого реагирования «Бэтмен») – Commanded by Alexander Bednov until he was killed in an attack on his convoy on 1 January 2015.[169] Members of the group said that the attack was ordered by head of the Luhansk People's RepublicIgor Plotnitsky.[169] According to them, Bednov and his fighters were killed "by order of Plotnitsky" because he was "ordered to sweep all intransigent commanders."[170] Following this attack, the LPR arrested some of Bednov's men, and dissolved the battalion.[114] Some of its personnel were dispersed into other LPR units, while DPR field commanders Givi and Motorola invited former members to join their battalions.[114]
DShRG Ratibor (Russian:ДШРГ Ратибор) – Group that was formed by Russian nationalists.
Interunit – A far-left military political unit build inside the Prizrak Brigade composed of internationalist volunteers formed in 2015. The bulk of the volunteers came from Spain,[171] while it was commanded by an Italian fighter called "Nemo".[172] It was operational until 2017..jpg)
.jpg)
Donetsk People's Republic
Luhansk People's Republic
According toArmament Research Services (ARES), the rebels mostly used equipment that was available domestically before theRusso-Ukrainian War. However, they were also seen with weapons that were not known to have been exported to Ukraine, or otherwise be available there, including some of the latest models ofRussian military equipment, never exported outside Russia.[179] According to theDonetsk People's Republic, all of its military equipment is "hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military".[180] However, according to the Ukrainian government and theUnited States Department of State, this is a false. They claim the separatists have received military equipment fromRussia, including multiple rocket launch systems and tanks.[4] Although Russian officials deny supplying arms to the militia.[179][4][181] In August 2014Ukrainian Defense MinisterValeriy Heletey said the proof for the weapons supply from Russia was that the fighters of the Donbas People's Militia were using Russian-made weapons never used (or bought) by theUkrainian army.[182]
Such exclusively Russian equipment seen with pro-Russian separatists includes Russian modifications ofT-72 tanks (particularlyT-72B3 andT-72BA seen destroyed in Ukraine[179][183]),BTR-82AM infantry fighting vehicle (adopted in Russia in 2013),[184][185]BPM-97 armored personnel carriers,[186][187] sophisticated anti-aircraft systemPantsir-S1,[188][189] multipurpose vehicleGAZ Vodnik (adopted in Russia in 2005),[186] Russian modifications ofMT-LB, rocket-propelled flamethrowerMRO-A, anti-tank missileKornet, anti-materiel rifleASVK, suppressed sniper rifleVSS Vintorez and others.[179][184]
The Donetsk Higher Combined Arms Command School (Russian:Донецкого высшего общевойскового командного училища) is a higher level institution in the ideological training of cadets.[190] People from both the DPR and LPR can enroll at the school.[191] It prepares future command cadres in four areas: reconnaissance, tank forces, infantry, and political officers.[clarification needed] Upon graduation, the cadets are commissioned as lieutenants. Since the fall of 2016, the Military Lyceum is affiliated to the DHCACS.
TheGeorgy Beregovoy Military-Physical Training Lyceum (Russian:Лицей с усиленной военно-физической подготовкой имени дважды Героя Советского Союза, летчика-космонавта СССР, генерал-лейтенанта Г.Т.Берегового) is an educational facility of the People's Militia, being akin to theSuvorov Military School or theIvan Bohun Military High School. It was established on 15 May 1993 by decree of theCabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as the Donetsk Higher Military-Political School of Engineering and Signal Corps. From 1993 to 2000, the Lyceum was with a three-year form of study. Over two decades, 2,793 graduates graduated from the institution, more than 1,000 of them currently serve in officer posts in various power structures ofUkraine.[192] It was renamed and converted in 2014; since then more than 300 students have graduated.[193] The school is open to boys between 14 and 16 years old, many of whom come from military families. The cadets live at the school six days a week.[194]
The conclusion of the Dutch criminal investigation into the shootdown of MH17 was that the "Russian Federation exercised overall control over the DPR", referring to vast evidence of frequent contacts between the DPR and LPR officials, and the Russian presidential administration, as well as the heads of the Russian military and FSB.[5]
As the conflict intensified, the Donbas People's Militia was bolstered with many volunteers from the former Soviet Union, mainlyRussia; including fighters fromChechnya andNorth Ossetia.[195]
According to the Ukrainian government and theUnited States Department of State the Donbas People's Militia has received military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers. Russia denied supplying weapons and described the Russian citizens fighting with the Donbas People's Militia as volunteers.[4][196] TheDonetsk People's Republic claimed on 16 August 2014 that it had received (together with 30 tanks and 120 other armoured vehicles of undisclosed origin) 1,200 "individuals who have gone through training over a four-month period on the territory of theRussian Federation".[197] Prime Minister of the DPRAlexander Zakharchenko said in August 2014 that it had not received military equipment from Russia; and that all of its military equipment was "hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military".[180][unreliable source?]
Some injured militia members received medical care in Russia.[195] In mid-August 2014, hospitals such as the Donetsk Central Hospital inDonetsk, Russia tended to receive between ten and twenty injured fighters daily.[195] TheRussian Emergency Ministry assisted with treatment logistics.[195] Those questioned and registered by the (Russian)Federal Security Service[195] and treated in Russia during this period stated that they would not return toUkraine if theUkrainian army won theRusso-Ukrainian War,[195] but would, instead, engage in apartisan warfare campaign inEastern Ukraine.[195]
According to various sources, the troops of the separatists forces are under direct control of officers of theRussian Armed Forces. Specifically the8th Combined Arms Army, which has been recreated for this specific task since 2017.[198][18]
In February 2022, the UK defence ministry and the Institute for the Study of War reported that the Russian Armed Forces had officially extended the RussianSouthern Military District into parts of Ukraine as part of integrating the DPR and LPR people's militias into Russian forces.[199][200][91]
In April 2023, Russia grantedcombat veteran status to separatist militants who had fought in the Donbas war since 2014.[24]
A 2016 report by theFrench Institute of International Relations (IFRI) noted thatRussian ethnic and imperialist nationalism has shaped the official ideology of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.[10] During thewar in Donbas, especially at the beginning, far-right groups played an important role on the pro-Russian side, arguably more so than on the Ukrainian side.[10][11] According toMarlène Laruelle, separatists in Donbas espoused a mixture of three strands ofRussian nationalism:Fascist,Orthodox andSoviet.[11]
Members and former members of neo-Nazi groupRussian National Unity (RNU), as well as theNational Bolshevik Party and theEurasian Youth Union, formed branches to recruit volunteers for the pro-Russia separatists.[10][201][202][203] A former RNU member,Pavel Gubarev, was founder of the Donbas People's Militia and first "governor" of the Donetsk People's Republic.[10][204] RNU is particularly linked to theRussian Orthodox Army,[10] one of a number of separatist units described as "pro-Tsarist" and "extremist Orthodox" nationalists.[105][10] In June 2014, the Russian Orthodox Army was accused ofmurdering four Pentecostals in Sloviansk. The men were accused of spying for the Ukrainian government,[205] but the case has been cited as part of a policy ofreligious persecution by the separatists.[206][207]
Openly Neo-Nazi units such as 'Rusich', 'Varyag' and 'Svarozhich' fought as part of the Russian paramilitaries from early 2014 and used Slavicswastikas on their badges,[10] although some, such as 'Varyag', have since been disbanded.[159] 'Rusich' is led by self-proclaimed neo-NaziAlexey Milchakov and is part of theWagner Group, a Russianprivate military company which has been linked to far-right extremism.[104][208]
Some of the most influential far-right Russian separatists areneo-imperialists, who seek to revive theRussian Empire.[10] These includedIgor 'Strelkov' Girkin, first "minister of defence" of the Donetsk People's Republic, who espouses Russian neo-imperialism and ethno-nationalism.[10] TheRussian Imperial Movement, awhite supremacist militant group,[104] has trained and recruited thousands of volunteers to join the separatists through its 'Russian Imperial Legion'.[105] Some separatists have flown the black-yellow-white Russian imperial flag,[10] such as theSparta Battalion and the (now disbanded) 'Ratibor' unit. In 2014, volunteers from theNational Liberation Movement joined the Donetsk People's Militia bearing portraits ofTsarNicholas II.[201] Other Russian nationalist volunteers involved in separatist militias included members of the banned Russian neo-Nazi groupSlavic Union and theMovement Against Illegal Immigration.[202] Another Russian separatist paramilitary unit, theInterbrigades, is made up of activists from theNational Bolshevik (Nazbol) groupOther Russia.[10] An article inDissent noted that "despite theirneo-Stalinist paraphernalia, many of the Russian-speaking nationalists Russia supports in the Donbass are just as right-wing as their counterparts from theAzov Battalion".[209]
Far-right nationalists from other countries have also fought for the Russian separatists, such as theHungarian nationalist 'Legion of Saint Stephen',[155] theBulgarian nationalist 'Orthodox Dawn'[153] and the SerbianChetnik 'Jovan Šević Detachment',[152] as well as members ofSerbian Action.[210] According to the Italian newspaperla Repubblica, well-known Italian neo-fascist Andrea Palmeri (former member of the far-rightNew Force party) has been fighting for the Donetsk People's Republic since 2014 and was praised by its leader Gubarev as a "real fascist".[211] ProfessorAnton Shekhovtsov, an expert on far-right movements in Russia and abroad, reported in 2014 that members of Polish neo-fascist group "Falanga" and Italian far-right group "Millennium" had joined the Donbas separatists.[212][213] FrenchEurasianists, notably the far-right organization "Continental Unity", have also been accused of recruiting far-right extremists across Europe to fight for the Donbas separatists.[214][215] Swedish and Finnish far-right groups, such as the "Power Belongs to the People" party, reportedly recruited volunteers to fight for the separatists,[216][217] while members of the neo-Nazi "Nordic Resistance Movement" were seen attending paramilitary training in Russia.[218][219] Other far-right foreign fighters from Europe and North America have fought alongside the pro-Russian separatists in Donbas, including white nationalists, neo-Nazis,neo-fascists andChristian nationalists. Motivations for these fighters have included the belief that they are fighting America and Western interests and that Vladimir Putin is a bulwark for "traditional white European values" who they must support against the "decadent West".[220]
In April 2022, a video posted on Donetsk People's Republic's website showed Denis Pushilin awarding a medal to Lieutenant Roman Vorobyov (Somalia Battalion), who was wearing patches affiliated withneo-Nazism: theTotenkopf, used by the3rd SS Panzer Division, and thevalknut, a German neo-pagan simbol sometimes used by neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The video did not show Vorobyov getting his medal when it was posted on Pushilin's website.[221][222]
While far-right activists played a key role in the early days of the conflict, their importance was often exaggerated, and their importance on both sides of the conflict declined over time. The political climate in Donetsk further pushed far-right groups into the margins.[10]
Far-left volunteers have also fought for pro-Russian forces, echoing Russian claims ofUkraine being a "fascist state" and seeking to engage in an "anti-fascist struggle". However, these leftist volunteers have co-operated with far-right groups in Donbas.[220] Among the early volunteers were members of theCommunist Party of Ukraine, as well as some members oftrade unions and labor organizations opposed to the new government that emerged after the Ukrainian Revolution.[223][224][225][226][227][228]
A small number of Spanish socialists travelled to Ukraine to fight for the separatists, with some explaining they were "repaying the favour" to Russia for theUSSR's support to Republicans during theSpanish Civil War.[214][229] They were also enlisting in solidarity with those who died in theUnions House fire.[230][231] Spanish fighters established the 'Carlos Palomino International Brigade', which flew the flag of theSecond Spanish Republic. In 2015, it reportedly had less than ten members, and was later disbanded.[157]Beness Aijo, a LatvianNational Bolshevik ofUgandan andRussian descent, was arrested in Donetsk in 2014 for fighting with separatist forces and the National BolshevikInterbrigades.[232][233] A female member of theIsraeli Communist Party also reportedly joined the separatists in 2015.[234] Other examples were the 'DKO' (Volunteer Communist Unit) and the Interunit, both composed of foreign communist volunteers; the Interunit has been inactive since 2017.[144][171]
An 18 November 2014United Nations report oneastern Ukraine stated that the DPR was in a state of "total breakdown of law and order".[235] The report noted "cases of serious human rights abuses by the armed groups continued to be reported, including torture, arbitrary and incommunicado detention,summary executions, forced labour, sexual violence, as well as the destruction and illegal seizure of property may amount tocrimes against humanity".[235]
In September 2015,Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) published a report on the testimonies of victims held in places of illegal detention in Donbas.[236] In December 2015, a team led byMałgorzata Gosiewska published a comprehensive report on war crimes in Donbas.[237]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)Separatist ideologues in the Donbas, such as they are, have therefore produced a strange melange since 2014. Of what Marlène Laruelle (2016) has called the 'three colours' of Russian nationalism designed for export—red (Soviet), white (Orthodox) and brown (fascist) ... there are arguably more real fascists on the rebel side than the Ukrainian side
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)Russian mercenaries fighting in Ukraine, including the Kremlin-backed Wagner Group, have been linked to far-right extremism ... Much of the extremist content, posted on Telegram and the Russian social media platform VKontakte (VK), relates to a far-right unit within the Wagner Group called Rusich ... One post on the messaging app Telegram, dated 15 March, shows the flag of the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM), a white-supremacist paramilitary ... Another recent VK posting lists Rusich as part of a coalition of separatist groups and militias including the extreme far-right group, Russian National Unity.
the Russian Orthodox Army, one of a number of separatist units fighting for the "Orthodox faith," revival of the Tsarist Empire, and the Russkii Mir. Igor Girkin (Strelkov [Shooter]), who led the Russian capture of Slovyansk in April 2014, was an example of the Russian nationalists who have sympathies to pro-Tsarist and extremist Orthodox groups in Russia. ... the Russian Imperial Movement ... has recruited thousands of volunteers to fight with the separatists. ... such as the Russian Party of National Unity who use a modified swastika as their party symbol and Dugin's Eurasianist movement. The paramilitaries of both of these ... are fighting alongside separatists.
The Imperial Legion, the paramilitary arm of the Russian Imperial Movement, calls, for instance, for "young Orthodox men" to commit themselves to defending Novorossiya.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)"Варяг" Александра Матюшина, командира Шахтерской дивизии Константина Кузьмина.
Many mercenaries are related, directly or indirectly, to the Russian National Unity (RNU) movement of Alexander Barkashov ... The RNU is supposedly closely associated to members of the self-proclaimed government of Donetsk and in particular of Dmitri Boitsov, leader of the Orthodox Donbass organization ... The volunteers come from several other Russian nationalist groups: the Eurasianist Youth inspired by the Fascist and neo-Eurasianist geopolitician Alexander Dugin; the now-banned Movement Against Illegal Immigration led by Alexander Belov; the group 'Sputnik and Pogrom'; the national-socialist Slavic Union of Dmitri Demushkin; several small groups inspired by monarchism such as the Russian Imperial Movement
Russian National Unity (RNU), banned ultranationalist political party ... a number of RNU members joined separatist forces in the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk
Another group of Russian citizens who became involved in the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine were members of the so-called right-wing units of the Russian Spring.
The head of the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic in Ukraine has been seen in a video awarding a medal to a fighter ... Published on April 3 through the Russia-backed republic's website, the footage also shows the fighter wearing symbols used by neo-Nazis. [...] the video posted on Pushilin's official website did not show Vorobyov receiving his medal
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