Sich Battalion
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| Sich Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Ukrainian: батальйон патрульної служби міліції особливого призначення "Сiч" | |
 | |
| Active | June 2014 – present |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Allegiance |  VO Svoboda (2014–2015) Ministry of Internal Affairs (2015–present) |
| Branch | Special Tasks Patrol Police (2015–present) |
| Type | Police Tactical Unit |
| Part of |  Kyiv Regiment |
| Engagements | War in Donbas |
The Sich Battalion (Ukrainian: Батальйон "Сiч"), officially known as the 4th Sich Company of the Kyiv Regiment[a] (4-та рота «Січ» полку «Київ», 4-ta rota "Sich" polku "Kyiv"), is a Ukrainian special police battalion consisting of volunteers from Kyiv.[1] The unit was formed in June 2014 by volunteers from the far-right party Svoboda at the start of the war in Donbas.[2]
History
[edit]Foundation and early operations
[edit]
The Sich Battalion was formed by the far-right Svoboda party in June 2014.[2] The unit is one of several Ukrainian paramilitary volunteer battalions formed at the start of the war in Donbas in 2014, along with the Svyatyi Mykolai Battalion or Donbas Battalion, to fight against pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The Sich Battalion officially became an active unit of Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs following its oath taking ceremony on 26 August 2014, and is composed of around 50 volunteers, some of whom have prior military service.[3] Like other volunteer units, Sich Battalion members underwent two months of basic training prior to activation and began engaging separatist forces with minimal training or equipment. While the Sich Battalion was much smaller than other volunteer units, it was designed for the specific purpose of combating insurgents in the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[4]
On August 26, 2014, about 100 soldiers of the battalion took the Oath of Allegiance to the people of Ukraine, after which about 50 soldiers went to the ATO zone.[5] Solemn farewells took place on Instytutska Street in Kyiv, where the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred died in the winter.[6][7][8]
Together with the soldiers, seven people's deputies of the 7th convocation (2012–2014) from the Svoboda party went to the East: Yuriy Syrotiuk, Oleksiy Kaida, Oleh Osukhovsky, Oleh Gelevey, Oleksandr Myrnyi, Andriy Tyagnybok, and Oleksiy Furman. They took turns accompanying the fighters during their stay in the anti-terrorist operation zone.
On September 27, the battalion's fighters returned from the anti-terrorist operation to their place of deployment.[9] On September 30, after a solemn ceremony, a new special unit of the battalion left for eastern Ukraine.
According to the press service of the battalion, part of the unit is located in the Donetsk region near Kurakhovo, where it performs tasks to protect the dam of Kurakhiv TPP.[10] The battalion's base camp is located in Sloviansk, where special forces guard peace in the city and maintain law and order.[11]
Operations as police unit
[edit]By 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs banned people registered in political parties of enlisting in their units. The Sich Battalion cut their official ties with Svoboda[12] and on 21 December 2015, the Sich Battalion was reformed into the 4th Company "Sich" of the Kyiv Regiment, as part of the Kyiv city special police, with Maxim Morozov as its commander.[12]
Arsen Avakov, the head of Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs, said that a member of the Sich Battalion was arrested after a member of the National Guard of Ukraine was killed during rioting in Kyiv on August 31, 2015.[13]
At the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sich Battalion fought against the Russian Kyiv offensive (2022). It later redeployed to combat the Eastern Ukraine offensive, participating in the Battle of Kharkiv (2022).[14]
On August 30, 2024, two Colombians were arrested by the FSB after they were extradicted by Caracas for fighting supposedly with the battalion as volunteers while on a layover.[15] They were identified as Alexander Ante and José Aron Medina.[16]
See also
[edit]References and notes
[edit]- ^ The battalion was inducted into the Special Tasks Patrol Police on 21 December 2015.
- ^ "A new volunteer of the Ukrainian interior ministry's special battalion "Sich" embraces his relative during a ceremony in Kyiv". Yahoo News Philippines. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ a b "Партія Свобода створює власний батальйон". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ "Батальон "Сич" отправился в зону АТО". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ SERGEI SUPINSKY. "The child of a Sich special volonteer [sic] battalion member holds her... News Photo 454196308". Getty Images. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ «Свобода» відправила батальйон «Січ» в зону АТО
- ^ Батальйон «Січ» вирушив на війну з вулиці Небесної Сотні — Тиждень.ua, 26.08.2014
- ^ Батальйон добровольців «Січ» вирушив у зону АТО — НТН, 26.08.2014
- ^ В зону АТО відправився батальйон «Січ» — ТСН.ua, 26.08.2014
- ^ "Бійцями батальйону «Січ» за ніч було знищено близько 10-ти сепаратистів". Archived from the original on 2014-10-04. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ "Бійці батальйону «Січ» несуть службу під Курахово". Archived from the original on 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ "Командир батальйону «Січ» спростовує чутки щодо зміни дислокації бійців". Archived from the original on 2014-12-15. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ a b "Комбат батальйону Січ заперечив належність Ігоря Гуменюка до ВО Свобода — Станко | Дивитись відео на VideoUkraine.com". 2016-03-04. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
- ^ Avakov, Arsen. "Погибший солдат Дебрин -24 лет - из Херсона - все-таки осколок в сердце, не пуля. Задержанный гранатометчик - свободовец из Сичи". Twitter. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
- ^ Daria Shulzhenko (2 May 2022). "Families mourn fallen defenders of Ukraine". Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
- ^ "Maduro's gift to Putin: 2 mercenaries who fought for Ukraine extradited to Russia". POLITICO. 2024-08-30. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ Hurtado, José Antonio Minota (2024-07-25). "La historia de un exmilitar caucano que combatió en Ucrania y terminó retenido en Venezuela". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-09-11.
