Ukraine creates a military battalion of Russian citizens
The Ukrainian regular army created the Siberia battalion, which consists entirely of Russian citizens. The battalion operates as a component of the International Legion at the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
The information was confirmed in a comment to Hromadske by the representative of the GUR Andriy Yusov.
The existence of such a battalion was first reported by Bloomberg. It noted that “Siberia” united dozens of Russians and members of Russia’s ethnic minorities who traveled through third countries to join the Ukrainian army.
The press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told Hromadske that the battalion belongs to the sphere of the GUR. Intelligence representative Andriy Yusov confirmed to us that such a battalion does exist.
Yusov clarified that Siberia is a component of the International Legion under the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine and is part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, unlike volunteer groups such as the Freedom of Russia Legion, the soldiers of the Siberia battalion are part of the regular Ukrainian army. They are expected to be sent into combat very soon.
The battalion currently has 60 men, all of whom are volunteers. None of them were recruited from among Russian prisoners of war, a Ukrainian army spokesman told the publication.
The Siberia fighters underwent thorough security checks to make sure they were supporters of Ukraine. After that, the Russians signed a military contract and adopted army call signs.
Among the battalion’s members are, in particular, Yakuts and Buryats, who have stated that they want independence from Russia and see Ukraine’s victory in the war as a step towards this goal.
Ukrainian officials told Bloomberg that they expect to recruit more Russian citizens, especially members of the country’s minorities, to fight on Ukraine’s side.
