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Sparta Battalion

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80th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion "Sparta" named after A. S. Pavlov
80-й отдельный гвардейский разведывательный батальон «Спарта» имени А. С. Павлова

Service sleeve insignia of the Sparta Battalion
Active2014 – present
Allegiance
BranchDonetsk People's Republic DPR People's Militia (2014–2022)
 Russian Ground Forces (2022–present)
RoleSpecial Forces
SizeBattalion
Part of 51st Combined Arms Army
Garrison/HQDonetsk
Nickname(s)Motorola's Division
PatronArsen Pavlov
Engagements
Battle honoursGuards unit Guards
Commanders
Current
commander		Denis Shundikov
Notable
commanders		Arsen Pavlov †
Vladimir Zhoga †
Artem Zhoga
Insignia
Alternate sleeve insignia
Flag of the Sparta Battalion
Former flag of the Sparta Battalion

The Sparta Battalion (Russian: батальон «Спарта») or 80th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion "Sparta" named after A. S. Pavlov (Russian: 80-й отдельный гвардейский разведывательный батальон «Спарта» имени А. С. Павлова; MUN 08806) is a special purpose unit of the Russian Armed Forces. Until 2023, unit was part of Russian people's militia military unit of the Russian republic of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine. The unit has been fighting against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbas war and the 2022 Russian invasion. Formed in 2014, it was initially led by the Russian-born Arsen Pavlov (callsign "Motorola") until his death in October 2016, and then by Vladimir Zhoga (callsign "Vokha"), from Sloviansk,[2] until his death in March 2022.[3]

The battalion took part in the Battle of Ilovaisk and Second Battle of Donetsk Airport and several others.[4][5] According to Foreign Policy, the Sparta Battalion has "a reputation for ruthlessness".[6] It has committed war crimes in the Donbas. The battalion has been described as Russian ultranationalist,[7] and the European Eye on Radicalization notes that it uses a combination of Russian imperial symbols and "symbols of the Spartan military culture, well-known drivers of the far-right".[8]

History

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According to Ukrainian and Russian sources, the unit was formed in August 2014 in Donetsk, based on the previously existing anti-tank/MG troop led by Pavlov which earlier reportedly participated in Battle of Ilovaisk along with Igor Strelkov's "volunteer" forces.[9][10][11]

Battles during the Donbas war

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In 2014, the battalion took part in the Battle of Ilovaisk.[9][12]

In 2015, it fought in the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport.[13][12] During this battle, its fighters were filmed capturing Ukrainian soldiers (who were later paraded through Donetsk, where they were attacked by locals), and transporting the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers.[14] Pavlov made Ukrainian POWs carry the bodies of other Ukrainians because, he said, "it's not our job to recover dead bodies, it's our job to make them."[14]

In January 2015, it participated in the Battle of Debaltseve.

In March 2016, it was in the armed skirmish in Dokuchaievsk.[15]

In September 2016, the group was deployed into Lugansk People's Republic, with the stated aim of preventing an anticipated coup d'état.

In late 2016, it was deployed at Sergey Prokofiev airport in Donetsk.[16][17]

During the Russian invasion

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Main article: Russian invasion of Ukraine

The battalion took part in:

Alleged war crimes

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See also: Arsen Pavlov § War crimes

In February 2015, Ukrainian SSU started an investigation into allegations of war crimes committed in January 2015 by the Battalion and its leader Arsen Pavlov, with charges including murder, bullying, torture and forcing people into slave labor.[20][21][22]

In April 2015 Russian deputy director of the Europe and Central Asia Amnesty International, Denis Krivosheev, blamed Pavlov for killing and torturing Ukrainian POWs[23][24] captured at Donetsk airport.[12] According to Krivosheev, Pavlov said in an interview to the Kyiv Post that he killed Ukrainian Branovitsky Igor [ru] who was prisoner of war at the time of his detention and who suffered several facial wounds and was not able to walk.[24][25][26] In a controversial tape which was published on YouTube in April 2015 which features voices of both of the Kyiv Post's journalist and a voice allegedly belonging to Pavlov, with the latter claiming to have killed 15 prisoners when the journalist asked him about Branovitsky, saying “I’ve shot 15 prisoners. I don't give a shit. No comment. I kill whoever I want.”[27][22][12] Amnesty called for thorough investigation of the crime.[24] A surviving Ukrainian POW interviewed by the BBC said he had seen Pavlov shooting Branovitsky.[28] In June it was reported by a Ukraine official that Interpol refused to put Pavlov on their wanted list on the grounds of the "political nature of the Motorola case".[29][30]

In 2016, a Vice News journalist described being told by Sparta members about Ukrainian corpses still at Donetsk airport, which Sparta members had forced Ukrainian POWs to bury in 2014.[17]

Structure

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Sparta Battalion fighter near the Donetsk Airport's Old Terminal (November 2014).

2015

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Members' names were posted on Facebook on 5 April 2015 by Vyacheslav Abroskin, head of Donetsk Oblast's police. At least 40 names were listed.[22] Its membership reportedly includes foreign fighters from Moldova.[31]

2022

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Vladimir Putin and Artem Zhoga on 9 May 2022

In March 2022, the Battalion's commander Vladimir Zhoga was killed at Volnovakha in the course of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[32][33] He was posthumously awarded the title of "Hero of the Russian Federation" by Russian president Vladimir Putin.[34]

The sub-units of the battalion are approximately following:

  • 1st Company
  • 2nd Reconnaissance Company
    • The commander was killed during the Battle of Avdiivka on April 21, 2022[35][36]

Ideology and symbols

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German anti-extremist news website Belltower described the militia as Russian ultranationalist and irredentist.[37] The battalion flies the black-yellow-white flag of the Russian Empire and, according to the European Eye on Radicalization, the unit "uses a combination of symbols of the Spartan military culture, well-known drivers of the far-right, and from the Tsarist era".[8][38]

Its flag includes a letter M. According to a fighter interviewed by The Independent, this is "because it is dedicated to Motorola, our commander... a DPR hero".[16]

The Ukrainian newspaper Segodnya noted how the stylized red "M" looks identical to the logo of the Sparta Rangers, a fictional faction of elite soldiers from the Metro 2033 videogame.[39] Dmitry Glukhovsky, writer and creator of the Metro series, condemned the use of the name and symbol in a radio interview.[40]

Commanders

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  • Arsen Pavlov, first commander of the battalion preparing to participate in Victory Parade in 2015.
    Arsen Pavlov, first commander of the battalion preparing to participate in Victory Parade in 2015.
  • Sparta Battalion in Ilovaisk talking to civilians near a cellar (August 2014)
    Sparta Battalion in Ilovaisk talking to civilians near a cellar (August 2014)
  • Sparta Battalion troops near the Donetsk Airport (October 2014)
    Sparta Battalion troops near the Donetsk Airport (October 2014)
  • Company commander of the Sparta Battalion, "Matros", in Donetsk Airport. He led the final DPR assault on the New Terminal.
    Company commander of the Sparta Battalion, "Matros", in Donetsk Airport. He led the final DPR assault on the New Terminal.
  • Arsen Pavlov with his troops on BTR-70s during the rehearsal of the 2015 Donetsk Victory Day parade
    Arsen Pavlov with his troops on BTR-70s during the rehearsal of the 2015 Donetsk Victory Day parade
  • Arsen Pavlov and Sparta Battalion troops on a BTR-80 during the 2016 Donetsk Victory Day parade
    Arsen Pavlov and Sparta Battalion troops on a BTR-80 during the 2016 Donetsk Victory Day parade
  • Sparta soldier at the Victory Parade in 2016.
    Sparta soldier at the Victory Parade in 2016.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  2. ^ "Separatist known as Vokha will become new commander of the Sparta Battalion". UA Wire. 24 October 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b Batchelor, Tom (2022-03-24). "Russian commanders killed in Putin's war as Ukraine invasion 'not going to plan'". The Independent. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  4. ^ "The Battle of Ilovaisk: Details of a Massacre Inside Rebel-Held Eastern Ukraine". Newsweek. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  5. ^ "Ukraine Live Day 335: The Battle for Donetsk". The Interpreter. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  6. ^ Losh, Jack (2016-10-25). "Is Russia Killing Off Eastern Ukraine's Warlords?". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2016-10-25. Retrieved 2022-04-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ^ "Ukrainian Veterans Recall Pivotal Tank Battle In Volnovakha". Forbes. 9 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b Borgonovo, Federico (2022-04-07). "Putin's Hybrid Army". European Eye on Radicalization.
  9. ^ a b "Полевой командир "Моторола": от Чечни до Донбасса". www.depo.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  10. ^ "Комбат "Моторола": как мойщик машин стал командиром батальона "Спарта"". Рамблер/новости (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-05-02. Собранный как противотанковый бронебойный, отряд вскоре разросся.
  11. ^ "Where are they now? Five years ago, the bloodiest European war of the 21st century began in eastern Ukraine. Here's what's become of those early separatist leaders". Meduza. 2019-06-01. Retrieved 2022-04-05. Pavlov arrived in Ukraine in February 2014. According to Igor Strelkov, Pavlov was a member of the so-called "militia" in Crimea and was selected to join a group of soldiers headed for the Donbas... Beginning on April 10, 2014, Pavlov led small units to the most intense combat areas around Slovyansk. During that time, "Motorola" recruited enough fighters to expand his unit from 40 members to 200. During Strelkov's retreat from Slovyansk, Pavlov's subdivision covered the main army's movements. In August 2014, after Strelkov left the Donbas for Russia, Pavlov took charge of the Sparta Battalion and took part in some of the war's most violent battles.
  12. ^ a b c d Coynash, Halya (2016-10-16). "Russian mercenary who committed war crimes in Donbas receives special honour in Russia". Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  13. ^ "Бой за Донецкий аэропорт. Спартанцы против киборгов". Life.ru (in Russian). 2017-01-21. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  14. ^ a b "Pro-Russia media star 'Motorola' killed by 'Ukrainian Nazis,' rebels claim". Washington Post. 2016-10-17. Archived from the original on 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2022-04-05.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ^ "У ДНР потери — Спарта Моторолы бессильна в Докучаевске (видео)". kriminal.tv (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  16. ^ a b Chevreul, Victoire (2016-11-19). "How soldiers survive at the frontline of the battle of Donetsk airport". The Independent. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  17. ^ a b Hanrahan, Jake (2016-12-05). "In the Donetsk People's Republic, It's Impossible to Tell What's Real". VICE. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  18. ^ "Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: The Battle Of Mariupol, Or A Ukrainian Stalingrad". Warsaw Institute. 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  19. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".
  20. ^ "СБУ взялась за Моторолу. Боевику оформлено подозрение в преступлениях против человечности". nv.ua. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  21. ^ "СБУ оформила подозрение Мотороле". Украинская правда (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  22. ^ a b c Sukhov, Oleg (2015-04-10). "I killed 15 prisoners of war in Ukraine, claims Russian fighter". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  23. ^ ""Бойцы батальона "Спарта" фактически причастны к тому, что называется военным преступлением"". www.kommersant.ru (in Russian). 2015-04-09. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  24. ^ a b c "New evidence of summary killings of Ukrainian soldiers must spark urgent investigations". www.amnesty.org. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  25. ^ "War Crimes: Russian citizen Motorola boasts of killing 15 Ukrainian prisoners - Apr. 09, 2015". KyivPost. 2015-04-09. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  26. ^ "СБУ хоче інкримінувати "Моторолі" смерть 15 українських вояків". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). 2015-04-09. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  27. ^ KyivPost (2015-04-06), Motorola confesses he murdered 15 prisoners. Признание Моторолы в убийстве 15 пленных, retrieved 2019-05-02
  28. ^ "Як "Моторола" вбив полоненого "кіборга" - розповідь очевидця". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  29. ^ "Interpol refuses to search for Russian militant suspected of war crimes in Donbas". Human Rights in Ukraine. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  30. ^ "Интерпол отказался искать Моторолу". korrespondent.net (in Russian). Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  31. ^ DFRLab (2017-06-18). "Moldovan Fighters in the Donbas. A look at the Moldovan foreign fighters…". Medium. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  32. ^ "Глава ДНР сообщил о гибели полковника Владимира Жога". 1news.az (in Russian). 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  33. ^ "Leader of so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" killed in action near Volnovakha". Ukrayinska Pravda. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 2022-03-06.
  34. ^ "Путин присвоил звание Героя России посмертно командиру батальону "Спарта" Владимиру Жоге". tass.ru (in Russian). 6 March 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  35. ^ ХАНАРИН, Никита МАКАРЕНКОВ | Павел (2022-04-21). "В ДНР погиб командир второй роты легендарного батальона "Спарта" Сергей Агранович с позывным "Водяной"". donetsk.kp.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  36. ^ "ВСУ в боях за Авдеевку уничтожили "ротного" батальона "ДНР" "Спарта" — ОстроВ". www.ostro.org (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  37. ^ Potter, Nicholas (29 March 2022). "Donezker Rebellen im Kampf gegen Kyjiw". Belltower (in German). Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  38. ^ "The "heroes of Novorossiya": where are they now?". openDemocracy. 2016-03-02. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  39. ^ "Боевики "воруют" эмблемы для своих банд из компьютерных игр". www.segodnya.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-05-06.
  40. ^ Sharifulin, Valery (6 April 2015). "Писателя Глуховского огорчил символ батальона ополченца Моторолы". Govorit Moskva.

Further reading

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