Pro-Government Militias
Ukrayina battalion (Ukraine)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 639 |
| Country: | Ukraine |
| Date formed: | May 21, 2014 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | The group was formed by Oleh Lyashko in 2014. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | |
| Termination Type(s): | none |
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 information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | 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 information |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | no information |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | no information |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Donetsk region |
| Force Strength: | [500, 1000] |
| 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: | The PGM was linked to the Interior Ministry. It was the personal battalion of Oleh Lyashko of the Radical Party which was not a member of government during the period of the reports but became a member of the governing coalition from November 2014 on. An alternative spelling of the PGM is Ukraina battalion. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group served the personal interests of Lyashko and was, for instance, used to detain active separatists. It was also part of the Ukrainian security operation. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | unknown |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | |
| PGM Members Killed? | no information |
PGM Size
| Size: | Upon the initial formation of the group, there were 1,000 volunteers, reported as of the beginning of June 2014. Later that month, a source states that the PGM had over 500 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The group was commanded by Oleh Lyashko and operated under the loose control of the Interior Ministry. It cooperated with the army, the military police, the National Security Service and other volunteer battalions. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.