page_title: Ukrainian volunteer battalions (since 2014)
hierarchical_section_title: Ukrainian volunteer battalions (since 2014)
caption_attribution_description: 2014-12-30-2328
context_page_description: Ukrainian volunteer battalions mobilized as a response to the perceived state of weakness and unwillingness to counter rising separatism in spring 2014. The earliest of these volunteer units were later formalized into military, special police and paramilitary formations in a response to Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Most of the formations were formed by the government agencies of Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Internal Affairs; the minority are independent.
  As of September 2014, 37 volunteer battalions took active part in battles of the War in Donbass. It is widely believed that they are responsible for the most part of war crimes and atrocities committed by pro-Ukrainian forces. The majority of the battalion fighters are former Euromaidan activists, but their social background is highly diverse. They include students, military officers and even criminals. Nevertheless, they enjoy a high level of support in Ukrainian society ranked second among the most respected institutions in the country. However their close ties with Ukrainian oligarchs bring up a high risk of the volunteer formations becoming politicized or turning into private armies.
context_section_description: Ukrainian volunteer battalions mobilized as a response to the perceived state of weakness and unwillingness to counter rising separatism in spring 2014. The earliest of these volunteer units were later formalized into military, special police and paramilitary formations in a response to Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Most of the formations were formed by the government agencies of Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Internal Affairs; the minority are independent.
  As of September 2014, 37 volunteer battalions took active part in battles of the War in Donbass. It is widely believed that they are responsible for the most part of war crimes and atrocities committed by pro-Ukrainian forces. The majority of the battalion fighters are former Euromaidan activists, but their social background is highly diverse. They include students, military officers and even criminals. Nevertheless, they enjoy a high level of support in Ukrainian society ranked second among the most respected institutions in the country. However their close ties with Ukrainian oligarchs bring up a high risk of the volunteer formations becoming politicized or turning into private armies. Ordered to leave the front lines in 2015, the volunteer battalion phenomenon was largely over within a year of its beginning.
caption: 11th territorial defence battalion "Kievan Rus" fighter, 2014
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