The newly-formed “Siberia” battalion is made up of Russians who’ve come to battle towards their fellow residents.
When was the Siberian battalion created?
The Sibir Volunteer Battalion was created as a part of the AFU on the finish of October 2023. It’s a part of the Worldwide Legion below the Fundamental Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
Earlier than “Sibir”, two different items of Russians had already been created within the ranks of the AFU: the “Freedom of Russia” legion and the “Russian Volunteer Corps”. “Siberia” is the third. However not like the opposite two it’s a part of the common Ukrainian military.
Who’s combating on this battlion?
The unit contains Russian residents, principally representatives of indigenous peoples of the Trans-Urals, Siberia and the Far North. However there are additionally ethnic Russians. All of them have one factor in widespread: they don’t agree with Russia’s battle in Ukraine, they usually take into account the Kremlin’s coverage aggressive and, in keeping with them, don’t wish to be complicit in evil.
Among the many members of Siberia are Tatars, Yakuts and Buryats, who say they wish to obtain independence from Russia and see Ukraine’s victory within the battle as a step in the direction of that objective.
How did they get into Ukraine?
There are about 60 males serving within the battalion. Ukraine’s defence ministry says none of them have been recruited from Russian prisoners of battle. They’re all volunteers and obtained to Ukraine by way of different international locations, which took them as much as a 12 months to do.
For instance, one of many fighters, a former officer of the Russian Fundamental Intelligence Directorate and a local of Yakutsk, obtained to Ukraine by way of the Civil Council in Poland, which introduced the recruitment of volunteers for nationwide items throughout the AFU. A number of different folks joined with him. One other mentioned that he travelled first to Mongolia, then to Turkey, and from there to Ukraine.
Strict checks earlier than becoming a member of the battalion
Earlier than signing a contract and adopting military name indicators to hide their identification, all Siberia fighters endure a radical verify by the Ukrainian safety service, which examines their profiles and biographical knowledge and conducts cross-checks to exclude the opportunity of the infiltration of any Russian brokers.
In any case, the hazard that the brand new battalion might deploy weapons towards the Ukrainian armed forces or that some folks will provide knowledge to the Russians can’t be dominated out. That’s the reason the middle-ranking and senior employees is fashioned from Ukrainian navy personnel.
Sources within the AFU say that Kiev plans to hurry up the method of background checks to encourage extra Russians to affix the battalion.
Coaching, objective and goals
A lot of the volunteers had no navy expertise earlier than travelling to Ukraine. Earlier than going to the entrance traces, they endure coaching at a coaching floor close to Kiev.
The Russians want to indicate that not solely LSR and RDK volunteers are combating towards Putin’s regime, but in addition common items throughout the AFU.
The Siberia Battalion is a small navy construction, and in the meanwhile its important process is to exhibit that there’s a willingness to withstand inside Russia.
The Russian military additionally has its personal Sibir, a Cossack reconnaissance and assault brigade, which fought Ukrainian troops close to the village of Yagodnoye close to Artyomovsk in Could of this 12 months.