Donbas Battalion
| Donbas Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Ukrainian: Батальйон «Донбас» | |
Donbas Battalion emblem
|
|
| Active | 2014–present |
| Country |
 Ukraine
|
| Branch |
 National Guard
|
| Size | 900 |
| Garrison/HQ | Severodonetsk |
| Engagements |
War in Donbas • Battle of Ilovaisk • Battle of Debaltseve |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Semen Semenchenko |
| Insignia | |
| Battalion flag |  |
The Donbas Battalion is a volunteered National Guard of Ukraine unit subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, based in Severodonetsk. The formation was established in the Spring of 2014 during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The battalion was created by Semen Semenchenko, an ethnic Russian native of Donetsk, who is a major in the National Guard of Ukraine. The unit was initially formed as independent, but has been fully integrated into the National Guard of Ukraine as the 3rd Reserve Battalion.
Semenchenko, a former Ukrainian reserve captain, states that he and the other members of the Donbas Battalion gained combat experience in the Ukrainian Ground Forces or Soviet Army. According to him the all-volunteer Battalion was initially funded wholly by their own members savings and donations from individuals and "receiving zero salary from either the state or oligarchs". The first trainers of the battalion were instructors with experience in the Georgian Armed Forces. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry adopted Donbas Battalion as a National Guard of Ukraine unit thus allowing them to operate legally.
The Battalion recruits members from different regions of Ukraine, through various media including the Internet, a newspaper and phone line. New recruits are briefly trained in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and may see combat days after joining.
According to Semenchenko, some of his men have entered Donetsk city. Donbass Battalion and the other territorial battalion fight on the ground with an artillery and logistic support from the Ukrainian army.
On 19 August, Semenchenko was wounded when his forces were hit by mortar fire before entering the town of Ilovaysk, 18 kilometers east of Donetsk.
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Wikipedia