| Aidar Battalion Ukrainian: 24-й батальйон територіальної оборони «Айдар» | |
|---|---|
 Unit insignia | |
| Active | 2014 - |
| Country |
 Ukraine |
| Allegiance | Ministry of Defense |
| Type | Battalion of Territorial Defense (BTD) |
| Size | <300[1] |
| Motto(s) |
|
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Serhiy Melnychuk |
Aidar Battalion, Luhansk region, 2 August 2014
Aidar Battalion is a Territorial Defense Battalion of Ukraine detachment of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine that currently fights against separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine.[2] It has roughly 400 members.[3] Its commander is Serhiy Melnychuk.[4]
On 8 August 2014 Ukraine's Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey stated that the battalion would be reorganised, would receive better equipment and would see more combat missions.[5]
Structure[]
The Aidar Battalion consists of volunteers from Lviv, Chernigiv, Lugansk, Charkiv, Krim, Kiev, Ivano Frankivsk and Donetsk regions. Many self-defense activists from the Maidan protests in Kiev also joined the Aidar Battalion. It also has several subdivisions:
- Kholodnyi Yar
- Company "West"
- Afgan company
- Volyn company
- Autorota
- Golden company
Losses[]
Aidar Battalion lost several dozens of fighters killed in an ambush south of Shchastya after the announcement of the ceasefire on 6 September 2014.[6]
Human rights violations[]
In July 2014 its commander Serhiy Melnychuk became under criminal investigation in Russia for "organizing the killing of civilians".[7] The volunteer pilot of the Battalion Nadiya Savchenko, being captured by pro-Russian separatists near Luhansk, was (later) arrested in Russia (it was unclear how she got there) and charged with killing two Russian journalists.[2]
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observers reported in August that the Battalion was responsible for two abductions in the combat zone of the War in Donbass.[8] On 8 September 2014 Amnesty International stated that the Battalion had committed war crimes, including abductions, unlawful detention, ill-treatment, theft, extortion, and possible executions.[6][9]
In September, OSCE observers reported that Shchastya citizens claimed that intoxicated soldiers of the battalion ‘Aidar’ were shooting randomly in the nearby Luhansk power station.[10]
References[]
- ↑ "A Guide to Ukraine's Fighting Forces". July 10, 2014. http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/a-guide-to-ukraines-fighting-forces-355556.html. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ukraine conflict: Russia charges pilot over deaths, BBC News (9 July 2014)
Russia Charges Ukrainian Pilot Savchenko Over Journalists' Deaths, NBC News (9 July 2014) - ↑ http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/aydar-batallion-ready-to-fight-even-as-units-future-remains-unclear-353215.html
- ↑ http://italian.ruvr.ru/news/2014_06_24/Nel-comando-dellesercito-ucraino-traditori-aiutano-i-separatisti-filorussi-8559/
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Geletey wants to make "Aydar" regular special unit, Ukrayinska Pravda (8 August 2014)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 DOCUMENT - UKRAINE: ABUSES AND WAR CRIMES BY THE AIDAR VOLUNTEER BATTALION IN THE NORTH LUHANSK REGION Amnesty International, 8 September 2014
- ↑ http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/moscow-court-sanctions-arrest-of-ukraine-tycoon-governor-kolomoisky/502854.html
- ↑ "Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 21 August 2014". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 22 August 2014. http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/122920. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ↑ (Ukrainian) Amnesty International asks Yatsenyuk prystrunyty "Aydar", Ukrayinska Pravda (8 September 2014)
- ↑ Latest from OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) to Ukraine based on information received as of 18:00 (Kyiv time), 16 September 2014 OSCE, 17 September 2014
External links[]
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