Separatist forces of the war in Donbass

The United Armed Forces of Novorossiya (Объединённые Вооруженные Силы Новороссии), formerly the Donbass People's Militia ("Наро́дное ополче́ние Донба́сса"  ) and the Army of the South-East ("А́рмия Ю́го-Восто́ка"), are both militias and armed volunteer groups affiliated with the Federal State of Novorossiya. It is regarded as a terrorist group by the Ukrainian government. When it was called "Donbass People's Militia", it was mostly active in the Donetsk Oblast. The Donbass People's Militia was formed by Pavel Gubarev, who was elected "People's Governor" of Donetsk Oblast by pro-Russian protesters. Since then, it has fought a war against the Ukrainian government in the Donbass region of Ukraine. The militia was accused by the Ukrainian government of culpability in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 on 17 July 2014. The armed wing of the Lugansk People's Republic, the Army of the South-East, was merged into the militia on 16 September 2014, forming the "United Armed Forces of Novorossiya".

It is widely believed that the rebels are supported by Russian armed forces. Numerous Russian troops have been detained in Ukraine, and, although the Russian government often denies direct involvement stating that these men were there voluntarily and not under orders, some of them were detained riding their combat vehicles with documents proving their origin in Russian armed forces. Moreover, separatists admitted receiving supplies from Russia and being trained there. BBC reported that separatist ranks are composed of thousands of Russian citizens, and NATO accused Russia of deploying their regular troops into Ukraine. Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation have been reported to be supporting separatists in the conflict as well. DPR prime minister Alexander Zakharchenko claims that there are around 3,000 to 4,000 Russian volunteers fighting for the militia, which includes current and many retired Russian Army servicemen.

History


In early April, 2014, the militia seized control of several government buildings in Eastern Ukraine in cities such as Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. On April 12, the supporters of the Donetsk People's Republic and members of Donbass People's Militia set up checkpoints and barricades in Sloviansk. On April 12, former members of the Donetsk "Berkut" unit joined the ranks of the Militia. On April 13, the newly established Ukrainian government gave the separatists a deadline to disarm or face a "full-scale anti-terrorist campaign" in the region. On April 13, there was reports of fighting between the Militia and Ukrainian troops near Sloviansk, with casualties on both sides. On April 14, members of Donbass People's Militia blocked Ukrainian military KrAZ truck's armed with Grad missiles from entering the city.

On April 15, a full scale "counter-terrorism" operation was launched by the Ukrainian government with aim of restoring their authority over the area's seized by the Militia.

On April 16, the Militia entered Sloviansk with six BMD airborne amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicles they obtained from parts of the 25th Airborne Brigade who had switched allegiance. The "occupants" were disarmed after the vehicles were blockaded by locals. The Militia also received one self-propelled 120 mm mortar 2S9 "Nona-S" On April 20, an unidentified armed group in civilian clothes attacked a Militia checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Sloviansk. Three attackers and three members of Militia were killed. On May 14, eight members of Militia seized an IMR armored vehicle from Novokramatorsky Mashinostroitelny Zavod.

On May 15, the Donbass People's Militia sent an ultimatum to Kiev. They ordered the withdraw all Ukrainian troops from Donetsk oblast. On May 17, several members of the Militia seized two BRDM unarmed armored vehicles from Severodonetsk and Lysychansk (Luhansk Oblast) On May 22, the Federal State of Novorossiya was declared. On May 23, several members of people's militia seized another BRDM-RKh unarmed armored vehicle from Loskutovka (Luhansk Oblast)

The militia were widely suspected to be involved in the downing of a civilian airliner, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, on 17 July 2014.

On August 8, the Militia claimed that after battles near border with Russia, they captured 67 pieces of equipment with varying status (serviceable equipment without ammunition and fuel, with faults, damaged in battle and completely unusable), including 18 multiple rocket launching systems "Grad", 15 tanks and armored personnel carriers, howitzers, MANPADS, etc. As of August 12, the militia has at least 200 armored vehicles.

The armies of both the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic merged on 16 September 2014 to form the "United Armed Forces of Novorossiya". The months of July and early August were disastrous for the United Armed Forces with many analysts saying they were on the verge of defeat before a sudden counteroffensive, which the Ukrainian Government claims was supported by Russian troops, encircled thousands of Ukrainian troops and forced them into a retreat. The United Armed Forces soon re-captured several strategic positions such as Savur-Mohyla and Luhansk International Airport.

Structure
The militia consist of different armed groups, which took the oath for Donetsk People's Republic. Militant groups which refused to do it were disarmed as gangs.

Donetsk People's Republic
Donbass People's Militia
 * North Battalion (Батальон Север) (unofficial)
 * Patriotic Forces of Donbass (Патриотические Силы Донбасса)
 * Emblem of the Vostok Battalion (Donetsk People's Republic).svg Vostok Brigade (Бригада Восток, meaning "East Brigade") - Commanded by Alexander Khodakovsky. Includes foreign volunteers from post-Soviet countries. Initially a battalion, then increased to a brigade.
 * Battalion Oplot SSI.png Oplot Battalion (Батальон Оплот, meaning "Bulwark Battalion") - Commanded by Alexander Zakharchenko.
 * Miner Division (Шахтёрская дивизия) - Founded shortly after the rebel withdrawal from Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. It is commanded by Konstantin Kuzmin. Fighters typically range from ages 22–60. Composed of former coal miners.
 * SSI of the Kalmius Battalion.svg Kalmius Battalion (Батальон Кальмиус) - Special forces unit commanded by Sergei Petrovskiy.
 * Steppe Battalion
 * Flag of the Russian Orthodox Army.svg Russian Orthodox Army (Русская Православная Армия) - One of the armed groups, which control Donetsk, formed mostly by locals from depressive miner towns. It reportedly had 100 members at the time of its founding. According to Ukrainian sources, in June 2014 has at least 350 fighters. According to independent sources as fighting between separatists and the Ukrainian government worsened in Donbass, membership rose to 4,000.
 * Battalion of DPR Security Service (Батальон службы безопасности Донецкой народной республики)
 * International Battalions - Includes Russian, Chechen, Ossetian, Polish, Hungarian, Serbian, Latvian, Belarusian, Uzbek, French, Italian, Spanish, Armenian, Jewish and other volunteers.
 * SSI of the Legion of Saint Istvan.svg Legion of Saint Stephen (Легион Святого Иштвана) - Hungarian subgroup of international battalions.
 * Chetniks_Flag.svg Detachment Jovan Šević (Отряд Йован Шевич) - Serbian Chetnik-led group commanded by Bratislav Živković, has 250 fighters.
 * Aliya Battalion (Батальон Алия) - Jewish volunteer group.
 * SSI of the Sparta Battalion.svg Sparta Battalion (Батальон Спарта) - Also known as "Motorola's Division", special forces unit led by Arseny Pavlov. Includes Russians, fighters typically have helmets and modern personal equipment.
 * SSI of the Somalia Battalion.svg Somalia Battalion (Батальон Сомали) - Independent tactical group led by Mikhail Tolstykh.

Lugansk People's Republic
Army of the South-East
 * Don Cossacks National Guard Banner.jpg Great Don Army (Всевеликое Войско Донское) - An international organisation that recruits volunteers from Ukraine and Russia.
 * Всевеликое войско Донское (шеврон).png Cossack National Guard (Казачья Национальная Гвардия) - Don Cossack volunteer group commanded by ataman Nikolai Kozitsyn. Initially, this group was identified as Russian Special Forces by the U.S. State Department following the takeover of the Sloviansk city council. As of November 2014, the group controls the city of Perevalsk where capital punishment was instated in order to deter crime. According to Kozitsyn, there are thousands of men under his command.
 * Flag of the Ghost Brigade.svg Prizrak Brigade (Бригада Призрак, meaning "Ghost Brigade") - Commanded by Aleksey Mozgovoy. Formed in Luhansk in April 2014 and firstly was a platoon. But then increased to a battalion and a brigade. At the end of August it had 1,000 fighters.
 * SSI of the Zarya Battalion.svg Zarya Battalion (Батальон Заря, meaning "Dawn Battalion") - Commanded by Andrei Patrushev. Includes Russian volunteers - national-bolsheviks, members of The Other Russia.
 * Шеврон Батальона Леший.jpg Leshyi Battalion (Батальон Леший, meaning "Forest-spirit Battalion")

Disbanded
United Battalions of the DPR and LPR
 * North Battalion
 * Battalion Prizrak SSI.png Prizrak Battalion

Non-combat units

 * Novorossiya Humanitarian Battalion (Гуманитарный батальон «Новороссия») - non-combat unit involved in protecting the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Commanders

 * Alexander Zakharchenko
 * Igor Plotnitsky
 * Pavel Gubarev
 * Igor Strelkov
 * Vyacheslav Ponomarev
 * Nikolai Kozitsyn
 * "Romashka" (nom de guerre), real name Sergei Zhurikov (Russian: Сергей Журиков)
 * Miroslav Rudenko (Russian: Мирослав Руденко)
 * Alexander Khodakovsky
 * Igor Bezler
 * Aleksei Mozgovoy
 * Sergei Petrovskiy
 * Motorola (nom de guerre), real name Arseny Pavlov
 * Givi (nom de guerre), real name Mikhail Tolstykh
 * "Botsman"

Flags and symbols
Multiple flags and symbols are often used by the armed forces:
 * St. George Ribbon
 * Victory Banner
 * Flag of the Ukrainian SSR
 * War Flag of Novorossiya
 * Flag of Novorossiya
 * Flag of Donetsk People's Republic
 * Flag of the Donetsk Republic organization
 * Flag of Lugansk People's Republic
 * Flag of Russia
 * Flag of the Donbass People's Militia
 * Flag of the Great Don Army
 * Flag of the Vostok Battalion
 * Flag of the Russian Orthodox Army
 * Flag of the Sparta Battalion
 * Flag of the Prizrak Brigade

Equipment
According to the Donetsk People's Republic all its military equipment is "hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military". However, according to the Ukrainian government and the United States Department of State this is a false statement and claim the separatists have received military equipment from Russia, including multiple rocket launch systems and tanks. Despite the fact that Russian officials deny supplying arms to the militia, numerous evidence proves that it is true. In August 2014 Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey claimed the proof for the weapons supply from Russia was that the fighters of the Donbass People's Militia were using Russian-made weapons that were never used (or bought) by the Ukrainian army.

Relationship with Russia
As the conflict intensified, the Donbass People's Militia was bolstered with many volunteers from the former Soviet Union, mainly Russia; including fighters from Chechnya and North Ossetia.

According to the Ukrainian government and the United States Department of State the Donbass People's Militia have received military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers. Russia denied doing this and has described the Russian citizens fighting with the Donbass People's Militia as volunteers. The Donetsk People's Republic claimed on 16 August 2014 it had received (together with 30 tanks and 120 other armoured vehicles of undisclosed origin) 1,200 "individuals who have gone through training over a four-month period on the territory of the Russian Federation". The Donetsk People's Republic claims it has not received military equipment from Russia; but that all its military equipment is "hardware that we took from the Ukrainian military". In August 2014 Ukrainian Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey disputed this claim because (according to him) the fighters of the Donbass People's Militia were using Russian-made weapons that were never used (or bought) by the Ukrainian army; and which thus had to been supplied to them from Russia.

The injured of the Donbass People's Militia are exclusively treated in Russia. For example in hospitals in Donetsk, Russia; the Donetsk Central Hospital in this city (in mid-August) saw between 10 and 20 injured fighters daily. The Russian Emergency Ministry did help with treatment logistics. The injured were also questioned and registered by the (Russian) Federal Security Service.

Post-War in Donbass
The injured of the Donbass People's Militia treated in Russia mid-August 2014 claimed they could not return to Ukraine if the Ukrainian army would win the War in Donbass. They stated that if Ukraine would win the War in Donbass they would hold a partisan warfare-campaign in Eastern Ukraine.