Pro-Government Militias
Aidar Battalion (Ukraine)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 559 |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Date formed: | June 19, 2014 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | When it was formed, the volunteer battalion, which initially formed in the wake of the conflict, was loosely integrated into security structures to recapture areas taken over by separatists. |
| Date dissolved: | March 2, 2015 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | The official dissolution of the PGM was March 2, 2015 (although initially there were plans to complete this by the end of 2014) and it was subsequently reorganized as the 24th Separate Assault Battalion of the Ukrainian Army. This action was taken by the government to stop the illegal behaviour of some members. |
| Termination Type(s): | integrated into regular forces |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no information |
| Former Armed Group? | no information |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | no information | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | political party; state (institution); military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | Radical Party of Oleh Lyashko |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ideology; security forces; former rebels; ex soldiers; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | nationalist |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Luhansk region; Ilovaysk; Vinnitsa |
| Force Strength: | [200, 400] |
| Target(s): | civilians; unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; protect property and investment; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The group was linked to the Defence Ministry. It had also ties to the Radical Party and the far-right. According to reports, the PGM was a significant force in the efforts of the Ukrainian Army to retake separatist areas. A number of Russians also fought in the battalion. An alternative spelling is “Aydar battalion”. The date formed is the date first mentioned. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The government created the group to take back control over areas captured by separatists and to defend the country. It also protected strategically important sites and suppressed protests and unrest to maintain public order. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | deniability of violence |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Amnesty International reported that the group committed various war crimes and abuses such as abductions, unlawful detention, torture, ill-treatment, beatings, robbery, extortions and potentially executions. The PGM also blocked the distribution of aid to the population in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, a large part of which was heavily dependent on food aid. Members were not held accountable or effectively controlled by the Ukrainian government. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | beating; torture |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was only loosely integrated into the security apparatus and not effectively controlled by the government. The commander was Serhiy Melnychuk. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.