Chosen Company
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Chosen Company
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| image = Chosen Company insignia.png
| image_size = 300
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| dates = February 2022 – present
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| allegiance = {{flagu|Ukraine}}
| branch = International Legion
| type = Foreign volunteer Company
| role = Shock troops
| size = Unknown
| command_structure = 59th Motorized Brigade (2023-2024)
49th Special Purpose Detachment of the Security Service of Ukraine (2024-Present)
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| motto = Voluntas, Virtus, Violentia
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| battles = Russian Invasion of Ukraine
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| website = https://thechosencompany.org/
| commander1 =
| current_commander = Ryan O'Leary
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| commander2 = Edvard Selander Patrignani {{KIA}}
| commander2_label = Notable Commanders
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| identification_symbol_label = Flag
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}}
Chosen Company, previously known as the 312th Swedish Volunteer Company, is a volunteer unit fighting for Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Its volunteers come from over 31 countries, but are primarily United States citizens.https://thechosencompany.org/
History
The company was formed in 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the 312:th Swedish volunteer Company. It was led by Swedish military veteran Edvard Selander Patrignani until his death in combat on 18 July 2022.{{Cite web |last=Redaktören |date=2022-07-21 |title=Minnesord: Löjtnant Edvard Selander gav sitt liv för Ukraina |url=https://militardebatt.com/2022/07/21/minnesord-lojtnant-edvard-selander-gav-sitt-liv-for-ukraina/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Militär Debatt |language=sv-SE}} At the start of 2023, the company was renamed Chosen Company, to better represent the units multi-national composition and became attached to the 59th Motorized Brigade.{{Cite news |date=2023-11-19 |title=Australian man fighting with Ukraine killed in Russian artillery strike |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-20/australian-man-killed-in-ukraine-war/103123870 |access-date=2024-07-08 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} The company fought in the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive.{{Cite web |last=Rommen |first=Rebecca |title='Frag out!': Dramatic helmet-cam footage appears to show US volunteers of Ukraine's Chosen Company clearing a Russian trench |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/helmet-cam-us-fighters-in-ukraines-chosen-company-rush-russian-trench-2023-9 |access-date=2024-07-08 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}} In October 2024, the unit joined the 49th Special Purpose Detachment of the Security Service of Ukraine.{{Cite web |last=O'Leary |first=Ryan |date=30 November 2024 |title=Думаєш добровільно приєднатися до війська замість мобілізації? Ми набираємо: 49 окремий підрозділ спеціального призначення |url=https://x.com/RyanO_ChosenCoy/status/1862839284270522444?t=EssyKf7PuBpFDGzEqPVEpQ&s=19 |website=X / Twitter}}
War Crimes
=Execution of PoWs=
In 2024, German medical officer Caspar Grosse spoke to the New York Times about three incidents where members of Chosen Company killed Russian POWs. The New York Times reported that all of Grosse's accounts "are bolstered by his contemporaneous notes, video footage and text messages exchanged by members of the unit and reviewed by The Times."{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-killings-us.html|title=In Ukraine, Killings of Surrendering Russians Divide an American-Led Unit|date=July 6, 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/nytimes/1243406/in-ukraine-killings-of-surrendering-russians-divide-an-american-led-unit/|title=In Ukraine, killings of surrendering Russians divide an American-led unit | eKathimerini.com|date=July 7, 2024|website=www.ekathimerini.com}}
In the first alleged incident dated August 2023, a severely injured, unarmed Russian soldier was crawling through a trench and begging for help in a mix of broken English and Russian. The Russian was then shot in the chest by a member of Chosen Company. When the Russian soldier continued to move and breathe, another fighter shot him in the head.{{Cite news |last=Gibbons-Neff |first=Thomas |date=2024-07-06 |title=In Ukraine, Killings of Surrendering Russians Divide an American-Led Unit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-killings-us.html |access-date=2024-07-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708004055/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-killings-us.html |archive-date=2024-07-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/07/09/ygur-j09.html|title=New York Times reveals Ukrainian war crimes, remains silent on paramilitaries’ ties to US state|date=July 9, 2024|website=World Socialist Web Site}} In the second incident, a Chosen member lobbed a grenade at and killed a surrendering Russian soldier who had his hands raised. Video evidence of the incident was reviewed by the New York Times. In the third incident, Chosen members boasted in a group chat about killing Russian prisoners of war during a mission in October, text messages show. A soldier who was briefly in command that day alluded to the killings using a slang word for shooting. He said he would take responsibility. "If anything comes out about alleged POW blamming, I ordered it," wrote the soldier, who goes by the call sign Andok. He added an image of a Croatian war criminal who died in 2017 after drinking poison during a tribunal at The Hague and added the message "At the Hague ‘I regret nothing!’" under the image. The New York Times reported that this it was "one of several text messages" that make reference, directly or obliquely, to killing prisoners.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gulf-insider.com/bombshell-nyt-expose-details-war-crimes-by-american-led-volunteer-force-in-ukraine/|title=Bombshell NYT Expose Details War Crimes By American-Led Volunteer Force In Ukraine - Gulf Insider | Gulf Insider|date=July 8, 2024|website=www.gulf-insider.com}}
Chosen Company's commander, Ryan O'Leary, denied that any of the incidents took place despite the amount of physical evidence that Grosse presented to the New York Times.{{Cite web|url=https://censor.net/en/resonance/3514417/butusov_i_rayan_oliri_stattya_new_york_times_pro_stratu_rosiyan|title=Butusov and Ryan O’Leary. New York Times article on the execution of Russians | Censor.NET}}
Structure
As of July 2024 the company's structure is:
- 1st Rifle Platoon
- 2nd Rifle Platoon
- 3rd Recon Platoon
- 4th Drone Squad
- 5th Pioneer Squad
- 6th Support Platoon