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Sheikh Mansur Battalion

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Sheikh Mansur Battalion
Insignia of the Battalion
Founded2014 (2014)
Country Ukraine
AllegianceUkrainian Volunteer Corps (2014–2019)[1]
Ministry of Defense
Branch Ukrainian Ground Forces
TypeBattalion
Size100+[2]
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander		Muslim Cheberloyevsky

Sheikh Mansur International Peacekeeping Battalion (Ukrainian: Міжнародний миротворчий батальйон імені Шейха Мансура) or simply the Sheikh Mansur Battalion is one of the two Chechen volunteer battalions (the other one being the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion) that fights against Russia and Russian-backed separatists in the Russo-Ukrainian war. It is named after Sheikh Mansur, a Chechen military commander and an Islamic leader who fought against Russian imperialist expansion into the Caucasus during the late 18th century. The battalion is made up of mostly Chechen volunteers, many of whom are veterans of the First Chechen War and Second Chechen War.[4]

History

Creation

The battalion was founded in 2014, in Denmark. It was created by the Free Caucasus Organization, which was created in 2006 in Denmark by political emigrants from countries/regions in the Caucasus and in Europe.[5] In October 2014, Free Caucasus GPA Presidium announced the creation of a battalion named after Sheikh Mansur which will participate in the war in eastern Ukraine commanded by Muslim Cheberloyevsky (a veteran of the two Chechen-Russian wars).[6] the battalion was formed upon the splitting off of a faction from the Dudayev battalion, due to leaders deciding the need to act at two important fronts which at the time were Kramatorsk and Mariupol. It was the second Chechen battalion, after the previously formed Dzhokhar Dudayev battalion, which was proven itself well and received approval and support from the Ukrainian authorities.[7]

For a time, the Battalion operated under the command of the Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, an indepedent volunteer battalion of the far-right party Right Sector.[1]

Sanctions

The Ukrainian Government and President Zelensky have extradited fighters from the battalion and put sanctions against them in 2021 despite its staunch pro-Ukraine stance.[8] In 2018 Timur Tumgoev, a veteran of the Donbass war and member of the battalion was extradited to Russia. According to several reports he was tortured and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Several fighters are still threatened with extradition such as Akhmed Ilaev and Ali Bakaev.[9] These extraditions and sanctions have been criticized by several Ukrainian commanders such as Dmytro Yarosh who blamed the Russian FSB and elements within the Ukrainian government.[10]

"I believe that the Kremlin agents, which are infiltrated into Ukrainian power structures and authorities, are conducting a special operation to destabilize the situation within the state, with the aim of further expanding aggression and a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. That is why the Kremlin agents put thieves, bandits, anti-Ukrainian elements, People who, side by side with us, have walked the military path since 2014, defending our freedom and independence.I warn the authorities: we, our Chechen Brothers, will not be betrayed by the enemy.If it is necessary to use force to protect them, we will do it"

— Dmytro Yarosh, Censor.net

Participation in the Russo-Ukrainian war

The battalion participated in the War in Donbas. In Shyrokyne standoff, Sheikh Mansur battalion together with other Ukrainian forces fought against Russian-backed separatists in the village of Shyrokyne, east of Mariupol in 2015. The battalion was disbanded in September 2019; as one of the last units composed purely of volunteer soldiers.[11] However, the battalion was reported to be active again during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sheikh Mansur Battalion as well as Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion had been holding the defense near Kyiv and participating in partisan operations during the Battle of Kyiv.[12][13][14] They had previously been fighting in the Battle of Mariupol, but they left for Kyiv as they deemed it was more important to defend the capital city.[3]

Commanders

Former insignia of the battalion.
  • Battalion Commander - Muslim Cheberloyevsky
  • Chief of Staff of the battalion - Muslim Idrisov

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Чеченський батальйон Шейха Мансура на захисті українців - Офіційний сайт "Правого сектору"". 27 May 2017. Archived from the original on 27 May 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Krigen som aldri slutter".
  3. ^ a b Krikunenko, Iryna (7 April 2022). "Брат по зброї. Командир чеченських добровольців, який воює за Україну, розповідає про свої три війни з Росією". NV (in Ukrainian).
  4. ^ "FOREIGN FIGHTERS: TAKING THE FIGHT TO RUSSIA IN UKRAINE". 22 March 2022.
  5. ^ Fedor, Julie (11 October 2016). Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society: 2016/2: Violence in the Post-Soviet Space. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-3-8382-6948-1.
  6. ^ ""Вільний Кавказ" створив батальйон добровольців імені Шейха Мансура". Гречка - інформаційний портал кіровоградщини.
  7. ^ Admin. "Чеченский батальон имени Шейха Мансура" (in Russian). Golos Ichkerii. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Opinion | Ukraine has a duty to remove North Caucasian volunteer fighters from the sanctions list".
  9. ^ ""Чеченцы – это люди, которые за нас". Представитель президента Украины – о добровольцах и экстрадициях".
  10. ^ "В "санкционные списки СНБО" попали наши братья-чеченцы из добровольческого батальона им. шейха Мансура. Это спецоперация РФ, - Ярош".
  11. ^ "Volunteer Battalions Hand in Their Weapons in Eastern Ukraine". Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Foreign Fighters: Taking the Fight to Russia in Ukraine". Balkan Insight. 22 March 2022. Archived from the original on 22 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  13. ^ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Chechen and Tatar Muslims take up arms to fight for Ukraine | DW | 24.03.2022". DW.COM. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  14. ^ "'We have only one enemy — this is Russia': the Chechens taking up arms for Ukraine". OC Media. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
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