Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1532587
Key Armed Groups in Donbas The Battle of Sloviansk, which lasted from April 12th to July 5th, 2014, was a crucial stage in the emergence of the two separatist republics and their armed factions. As the battle drew in increasing forces on both sides, the situation escalated across Donbas. The conflict evolved from skirmishes between small groups using firearms into full-scale war, involving heavy equipment, artillery, and even airpower. The occupation of Sloviansk by Girkin blocked the mobilizing Ukrainian forces' route to Donetsk from Kharkiv and concentrated Ukrainian military efforts on the city. At this early stage, Ukrainian forces were severely limited, which gave time for various pro-Russian groups from across Ukraine to be brought into Donbas. Simultaneously, large numbers of radical groups from Russia began pouring into the Donbas region. This explosive mix of local pro-Russian idealists, petty criminals, and "marginals" — members of the lower ranks of the Donetsk mafia — combined with Russian Cossacks, imperialist fascists, and Orthodox radicals, formed the foundation of the armed groups that later transformed into the regular units of the First and Second Army Corps. Several of these groups played a key role in the events in Donbas and grew into the most significant armed factions. At this stage, the Russian legend of the "Sloviansk Brigade" emerged, namely a unit originating from the group led by Girkin during the Battle of Sloviansk. This group was considered the most battle-hardened and motivated among all pro-Russian factions. Many military units of the "republics" emerged from it later on, including two mechanized brigades and renowned independent battalions such as the Sparta reconnaissance battalion, led by Arsen Pavlov, widely known under the nickname "Motorola". Pavlov, a former Russian soldier and petty criminal previously convicted in Russia for car theft, reportedly arrived in Ukraine as a volunteer in the late winter of 2014 to support the Ukrainian Russians in their struggle for rights. The second unit that originated from the Sloviansk group was the Somali independent assault battalion, commanded by Mikhail Tolstykh, commonly known as "Givi". Pavlov and Tolstykh were close friends, and both were assassinated before the 2022 invasion. Meanwhile, Igor Girkin is still alive. He was arrested and imprisoned in Russia for his public criticism of Putin and the Russian regime. At this stage, the Horlivka-based faction was also established, led by another Russian intelligence officer, Igor Bezler. This mysterious Russian „Chekist," who had previously participated in the seizure of the Crimean parliament, took control of another key Donbas city, Horlivka, simultaneously with Girkin. He ruled with an iron fist until late autumn 2014, subordinating local services and authorities and forming his own unit from local pro-Russian activists and Russian volunteers. This faction later became the foundation for an independent motorized rifle brigade within the 1st Donetsk Army Corps. Bezler is still alive, does not engage in politics or public activity, and currently resides in Russia. Of course, during this period, many other units emerged and disappeared in Donbas, often composed entirely of Russians and formed from Russian neo-Nazi, nationalist, or radical Orthodox groups. Among them were the Rusic sabotage and reconnaissance group and the so-called Russian Orthodox Army. e Slovisk Briga e Bezr Grp www.fragoutmag.com