Sich Battalion
{{Short description|Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary battalion}}
{{distinguish|49th Infantry Battalion (Ukraine)|Carpathian Sich}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = Sich Battalion
| native_name = {{langx|uk|батальйон патрульної служби міліції особливого призначення "Сiч"}}
| image = Patch of the Sich Battalion.svg
| image_size = 150px
| caption =
| dates = June 2014 – present
| country = {{flag|Ukraine}}
| allegiance =
| branch = 20px VO Svoboda (2014–2015)
20px Ministry of Internal Affairs (2015–present)
| type = Special Tasks Patrol Police (2015–present)
| role =
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| command_structure = 22px Kyiv Regiment
| garrison =
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| identification_symbol_2 =
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| battles = War in Donbas
- Northern Ukraine campaign
- Battle of Kyiv (2022)
- Eastern Ukraine campaign
- Battle of Kharkiv (2022)
- Battle of Donbas (2022)
- Battle of Sviatohirsk
| anniversaries =
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}}
The Sich Battalion ({{langx|uk|Батальйон "Сiч"}}), officially known as the 4th Sich Company of the Kyiv Regiment{{efn|The battalion was inducted into the Special Tasks Patrol Police on 21 December 2015.}} ({{Langx|uk|4-та рота «Січ» полку «Київ»|translit=4-ta rota "Sich" polku "Kyiv"|label=none}}), is a Ukrainian special police battalion consisting of volunteers from Kyiv.{{cite web |date=26 August 2014 |title=A new volunteer of the Ukrainian interior ministry's special battalion "Sich" embraces his relative during a ceremony in Kyiv |url=https://ph.news.yahoo.com/photos/volunteer-ukrainian-interior-ministrys-special-battalion-sich-embraces-photo-120319723.html |url-status=dead |work=Yahoo News Philippines |accessdate=29 December 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112154359/https://ph.news.yahoo.com/photos/volunteer-ukrainian-interior-ministrys-special-battalion-sich-embraces-photo-120319723.html |archivedate=12 November 2014}} The unit was formed in June 2014 by volunteers from the far-right party Svoboda at the start of the war in Donbas.
History
{{further|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
= Foundation and early operations =
File:2014-07-24. Батальйон Січ 004.jpg with the National Idea symbol.]]
The Sich Battalion was formed by the far-right Svoboda party in June 2014.{{cite web|url=http://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/politics/3377514-partiia-svoboda-stvoruiie-vlasnyi-batalion|title=Партія Свобода створює власний батальйон|publisher=|accessdate=29 December 2014}} The unit is one of several Ukrainian paramilitary volunteer battalions formed at the start of the war in Donbas in 2014, along with the Svyatyi Mykolai Battalion and the Donbas Battalion, to fight against pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas region of Ukraine. The Sich Battalion officially became an active unit of Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs following its oath taking ceremony on 26 August 2014, and is composed of around 50 volunteers, some of whom have prior military service.{{cite web|url=http://www.ukrinform.ua/rus/news/batalon_sich_otpravilsya_v_zonu_ato_1660470|title=Батальон "Сич" отправился в зону АТО|publisher=|accessdate=29 December 2014}} Like other volunteer units, Sich Battalion members underwent two months of basic training before activation. They began engaging separatist forces with minimal training or equipment. While the Sich Battalion was much smaller than other volunteer units, it was designed for the specific purpose of combating insurgents in the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.{{cite web|url=http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-child-of-a-sich-special-volonteer-battalion-member-news-photo/454196308|title=The child of a Sich special volonteer [sic] battalion member holds her... News Photo 454196308|author=SERGEI SUPINSKY|work=Getty Images|accessdate=29 December 2014}}File:Sich Battalion, September 30, 2014.jpg.]]
On 26 August 2014, about 100 battalion soldiers took the Oath of Allegiance to the people of Ukraine, after which about 50 soldiers went to the ATO zone.[http://www.unian.ua/politics/955543-svoboda-vidpravila-batalyon-sich-v-zonu-ato.html «Свобода» відправила батальйон «Січ» в зону АТО] Solemn farewells took place on Instytutska Street in Kyiv, where the Heavenly Hundred had died.[http://tyzhden.ua/Gallery/117669 Батальйон «Січ» вирушив на війну з вулиці Небесної Сотні] — Тиждень.ua, 26.08.2014[http://ntn.ua/uk/products/programs/svidok/news/2014/08/26/14419 Батальйон добровольців «Січ» вирушив у зону АТО] — НТН, 26.08.2014[http://tsn.ua/politika/v-zonu-ato-vidpravivsya-batalyon-sich-365025.html В зону АТО відправився батальйон «Січ»] — ТСН.ua, 26.08.2014
Together with the soldiers, seven people's deputies of the 7th convocation from 2012 to 2014 from the Svoboda party went to the East: {{ill|Yuriy Syrotiuk|uk|Сиротюк Юрій Миколайович}}, Oleksiy Kaida, Oleh Osukhovskyi, Oleh Gelevey, {{ill|Oleksandr Myrnyi|uk|Мирний Олександр Борисович}}, {{ill|Andriy Tyagnybok|uk|Тягнибок Андрій Ярославович}}, and {{ill|Oleksiy Furman|uk|Фурман Олексій Юрійович}}. They took turns accompanying the fighters during their stay in the anti-terrorist operation zone.
On 27 September, the battalion's fighters returned from the anti-terrorist operation to their place of deployment.{{Cite web |url=http://www.battalion-sich.info/novyny/222-biytsyamy-batalyonu-sich-za-nich-bulo-znyscheno-blyzko-10-ty-separatystiv.html |title=Бійцями батальйону «Січ» за ніч було знищено близько 10-ти сепаратистів. |access-date=2021-08-21 |archive-date=2014-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004063051/http://www.battalion-sich.info/novyny/222-biytsyamy-batalyonu-sich-za-nich-bulo-znyscheno-blyzko-10-ty-separatystiv.html |url-status=dead }} On 30 September, after a solemn ceremony, a new special unit of the battalion left for eastern Ukraine.
According to the press service of the battalion, part of the unit is located in the Donetsk region near Kurakhovo, where it performs tasks to protect the dam of the Kurakhiv TPP.{{Cite web |url=http://holos.fm/page/bijci-bataljonu-sich-nesut-sluzhbu-pid-kurahovo |title=Бійці батальйону «Січ» несуть службу під Курахово |access-date=2021-08-21 |archive-date=2014-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204162952/http://holos.fm/page/bijci-bataljonu-sich-nesut-sluzhbu-pid-kurahovo |url-status=dead }} The battalion's base camp is located in Sloviansk, where special forces protect peace in the city and maintain law and order.{{Cite web |url=http://holos.fm/page/komandir-bataljonu-sich-sprostovuye-chutki-shhodo-zmini-dislokaciyi-bijciv#cut |title=Командир батальйону «Січ» спростовує чутки щодо зміни дислокації бійців |access-date=2021-08-21 |archive-date=2014-12-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215071348/http://holos.fm/page/komandir-bataljonu-sich-sprostovuye-chutki-shhodo-zmini-dislokaciyi-bijciv#cut |url-status=dead }}
= Operations as police unit =
By 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs banned people registered in political parties from enlisting in their units. The Sich Battalion cut their official ties with Svoboda{{Cite web |date=2016-03-04 |title=Комбат батальйону Січ заперечив належність Ігоря Гуменюка до ВО Свобода — Станко {{!}} Дивитись відео на VideoUkraine.com |url=http://videoukraine.net/video-390541-kombat-bataljonu-sich-zaperechiv-nalezhnist-igorya-gumenyuka-do-vo-svoboda-stanko.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304235844/http://videoukraine.net/video-390541-kombat-bataljonu-sich-zaperechiv-nalezhnist-igorya-gumenyuka-do-vo-svoboda-stanko.html |archive-date=2016-03-04 |access-date=2022-05-18}} and on 21 December 2015. The Sich Battalion was reformed into the 4th Company "Sich" of the Kyiv Regiment, as part of the Kyiv city special police, with Maxim Morozov as its commander.
Arsen Avakov, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said that a member of the Sich Battalion was arrested after a member of the National Guard of Ukraine was killed during rioting in Kyiv on 31 August 2015.{{cite web|last1=Avakov|first1=Arsen|title=Погибший солдат Дебрин -24 лет - из Херсона - все-таки осколок в сердце, не пуля. Задержанный гранатометчик - свободовец из Сичи.|url=https://twitter.com/AvakovArsen/status/638344439711309824|website=Twitter|accessdate=31 August 2015}}
At the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sich Battalion fought against the Russian Kyiv offensive in 2022. It later redeployed to combat the Eastern Ukraine offensive, participating in the Battle of Kharkiv in the same year.{{cite web |title=Families mourn fallen defenders of Ukraine |date=2 May 2022 |url=https://kyivindependent.com/national/families-mourn-fallen-defenders-of-ukraine/ |author=Daria Shulzhenko |publisher=Kyiv Independent |access-date=20 May 2022}}
On 30 August 2024, two Colombians were arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service after they were extradited by Caracas for supposedly fighting with the battalion. The two were volunteers on a layover.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-30 |title=Maduro’s gift to Putin: 2 mercenaries who fought for Ukraine extradited to Russia |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/maduro-putin-russia-arrest-two-colombians-fighting-ukraine-venezuela/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}} They were identified as Alexander Ante and José Aron Medina.{{Cite web |last=Hurtado |first=José Antonio Minota |date=2024-07-25 |title=La historia de un exmilitar caucano que combatió en Ucrania y terminó retenido en Venezuela |url=https://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/cali/drama-de-familia-de-exmilitar-caucano-que-combatio-en-ucrania-y-desaparecio-en-aeropuerto-de-venezuela-cuando-regresaba-a-colombia-3365598 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=El Tiempo |language=spanish}}
See also
References and notes
{{notelist}}
{{reflist}}
{{Special police detachments in Ukraine}}
{{2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine}}
{{commons category|Sich Battalion}}
Category:Special tasks patrol police of Ukraine
Category:Kyiv in the Russo-Ukrainian War
Category:Military units and formations established in 2014