Pro-Government Militias
Donbas Battalion (Ukraine)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 564 |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Date formed: | April 17, 2014 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | The formation of the group in April 2014 is based on the initiative of Semen Semenchenko to gather a group of fighters to defend themselves. |
| Date dissolved: | May 29, 2014 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | In May 2014 the group became integrated into the National Guard when it formed a special-purpose battalion belonging to this official force. |
| 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 |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| 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: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | unclear | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no information |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no information |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | unclear |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ideology; ex soldiers; foreign nationals |
| Primary Membership: | nationalist |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Donetsk region |
| Force Strength: | [100, 120] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect national borders and integrity; 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: | Recruitment was conducted via Facebook and word of mouth. According to one source, some Russians also fought in the group. An alternative spelling is Donbass battalion. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | Initially, the group was established as a self-defence measure by locals in Donetsk because of a perceived lack of efforts by the government to mobilise such a group itself. It fought pro-Russian separatists and was supposed to stabilize the region. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Like several other battalions, the group has been accused of preventing the provision of humanitarian aid to people who were heavily dependent on it. The disruption of food aid had particularly severe consequences for civilians in the region. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no |
| PGM Members Paid? | no |
| Reasons for Membership: | Patriotism is frequently mentioned as a precondition for membership, as well as the wish to defend or take back one’s own region. This is illustrated by the fact that 75 percent of members were reportedly from the Donbass region, i.e. the group had a strong local membership base. The absence of any kind of payment suggests that these incentives were substantial enough to serve as motivations to join the group. |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | The group’s membership appears to have been relatively constant, from 100 members at formation in April 2014 to another estimate of 120 in June 2014. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Some members were armed with automatic rifles and pistols, but there is no indication that these were provided by the government. There were plans by the government to equip the group with heavy weapons after its integration into the National Guard. The group had a training camp, however, this was managed without government involvement. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The connection to the government is not entirely clear, with the group’s status being uncertain and the PGM remaining outside the control of an official institution. The government did not provide any material or financial support to the group, with equipment or food originating exclusively from private donations. The leader of the group was Semen Semenchenko. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.