11th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion (Ukraine)
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 11th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion
| image = File:11ompb.svg
| caption = Coat of arms of the battalion
| dates = May 4, 2014 – present
| allegiance = {{UKR}}
| branch = {{flagicon image|59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade SSI (with tab).png}} 59th Motorized Brigade
| type = Mechanized infantry
| role = Offensive actions
| garrison = Podilsk, Odesa Oblast
| battles = War in Donbas
| commander1 = {{ill|Valeryi Vovk|uk|Вовк Валерій Анатолійович}}
}}
11th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion ({{langx|uk|11-й окремий мотопіхотний батальйон|11-i okremyi motopikhotnyi batalion}}), formerly known as the 11th Territorial Defense Battalion "Kyivan Rus", is a battalion of the Ukrainian Ground Forces created in 2014.
History
On March 19, 2014, Operation Command North established the 11th Territorial Defense Battalion, nicknamed "Kyivan Rus". By May 4, the troops for the unit were approved, marking the beginning of this battalion. For the next month, the personnel were trained at the 169th Training Centre in the city of Desna.
= War in Donbas =
After completing training, the troops of the battalion were then stationed for duty at roadblocks in Sloviansk, where they routinely identify and hand over pro-Russian separatists to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.{{Cite web |url=http://www.day.kiev.ua/uk/article/cuspilstvo/teper-na-viyni |title=Тепер на війні |date=August 15, 2014 |publisher=The Day |archive-date=December 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206142049/http://www.day.kiev.ua/uk/article/cuspilstvo/teper-na-viyni }}
On August 9, 2014, the battalion's recon unit successfully captured 4 militants at the train station at Fashchivka. They were later handed over to the Security Service of Ukraine.
On August 15, some soldiers of the battalion were ambushed in the village of {{ill|Maloivanivka|uk|Малоіванівка}}, near Zorynsk. Two members of the battalion were killed, and another two were wounded.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kyivshchyna.org.ua/11-bataljon-teritorialnoji-oboroni-kijivskoji-oblasti-kijivska-rus/50-terminovo-neobkhidna-dopomoga-khloptsyam-v-zoni-ato |title=Терміново необхідна допомога хлопцям в зоні АТО |publisher=Kyivshchyna |archive-date=December 5, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205192943/http://www.kyivshchyna.org.ua/11-bataljon-teritorialnoji-oboroni-kijivskoji-oblasti-kijivska-rus/50-terminovo-neobkhidna-dopomoga-khloptsyam-v-zoni-ato |url-status=dead}}
In the early morning of August 19, units of the Russian Ground Forces used BM-21 Grad rockets to fire on the positions of the battalion. As a result, 10 soldiers were wounded, 60% of the equipment, including 26 automobile equipments, were destroyed.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kyivshchyna.org.ua/11-bataljon-teritorialnoji-oboroni-kijivskoji-oblasti-kijivska-rus/58-terminovo-11-bataljon-potrebue-dopomogi |title=Терміново! 11 батальйон потребує допомоги |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205193414/http://www.kyivshchyna.org.ua/11-bataljon-teritorialnoji-oboroni-kijivskoji-oblasti-kijivska-rus/58-terminovo-11-bataljon-potrebue-dopomogi |archive-date=December 5, 2014 | url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/life/_voennye-budni-na-donbasse-batalon-kievskaya-rus-prosit-tanki-i-oruzhie/576773 |title=Военные будни на Донбассе: батальон «Киевская Русь» просит танки и оружие |archive-date=February 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221051635/http://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/life/_voennye-budni-na-donbasse-batalon-kievskaya-rus-prosit-tanki-i-oruzhie/576773 |language=ru}}
From September 20 to 27, the battalion repelled attacks on checkpoints in the village of {{ill|Nikishyne|uk|Нікішине}}, about 10 kilometers east of Debaltseve. The Ukrainian defenses in the area stretched for about {{convert|37|km}}.{{Cite web |url=http://www.radiosvoboda.org/media/video/26608939.html |title=Стек Левко. П'ятиденний штурм українського блокпосту в Нікішино (відео) |publisher=Radio Svoboda |date=September 27, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140927181548/http://www.radiosvoboda.org/media/video/26608939.html |archive-date=September 27, 2014 }}
= Re-organization =
On October 21, 2014, a directive was given to reorganize the battalion from Territorial Defense into a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, known as the 11th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion. This battalion was originally subordinate to the 72nd Mechanized Brigade, but was later transferred to the 59th Motorized Brigade.
= Russian invasion of Ukraine =
On August 26, 2024, having suffered heavy losses, the battalion was forced to retreat from the village of Karlivka under the threat of encirclement. As a result, the unit commander was removed from his post.{{Cite web |title=✙DeepState✙🇺🇦 |url=https://t.me/DeepStateUA/20245 |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Telegram}}{{Cite web |last=Ukraine |first=Reporting from |date=2024-09-05 |title=Frontline report: Russians make significant advances toward Pokrovsk amid heavy fighting |url=https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/09/05/frontline-report-russianss-make-significant-advances-toward-pokrovsk-amid-heavy-fighting/ |access-date=2024-12-10 |website=Euromaidan Press |language=en-US}}