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This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Bogdan Khmelnitsky Battalion" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Bogdan Khmelnitsky Battalion
Батальон Богдана Хмельницкого
File:Unit insignia of the Bohdan Khmelnytsky battalion.jpgUnit insignia
Founded	February 2023
Allegiance	Russia
Type	Militia
Size	Unknown
Engagements	Russian Invasion of Ukraine 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive
Commanders
Current commander	Andrii Tyshchenko

The Bogdan Khmelnitsky Battalion (Template:Lang-ru), or Bohdan Khmelnytsky Battalion is, according to Russian state media, a Russian "volunteer battalion" formed in February 2023, allegedly from Ukrainian POWs that have defected to the Russian Army. The battalion is named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Cossack Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, who rebelled against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and later accepted suzerenity of the Tsardom of Russia.

History

The battalion, according to Russian state-controlled media, was created in February 2023 in the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk Oblast. The formation's alleged commander, Andrii Tyshchenko, told RIA Novosti, that they recruited around 70 Ukrainian POWs in February alone. RIA Novosti calls the battalion "volunteer," claiming that its members joined the formation "voluntarily, having accepted Russian citizenship if they joined the battalion."

Russian sources claimed that the Russian command would treat members of the battalion in the same way as Russian soldiers and that they would receive the same salaries and benefits.

Russian state-controlled sources claimed that on 28 December 2023, the battalion engaged Ukrainian forces near the village of Urozhaine.

Use of POWs

The battalion is allegedly made up of Ukrainian PoWs who have defected to Russia. Coercion of POWs into combat would violate the Article 23 of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War, which says that "no prisoner of war may at any time be sent to or detained in areas where he may be exposed to the fire of the combat zone."

It was reported that after taking an oath, the battalion was deployed to an unspecified part of the frontline.

The oath read: "I solemnly swear allegiance to my Fatherland – the Russian Federation. I swear to sacredly observe the Constitution of the Russian Federation, strictly comply with the requirements of military regulations, orders of commanders and superiors. I swear to honorably fulfill military duty, courageously defend the freedom, independence and constitutional system of Russia, the people, and the Fatherland."

Yulia Gorbunova, senior researcher on Ukraine at Human Rights Watch, said that it was "hard to imagine" that the men of the battalion were taking part of their own free will.

References

1. "Fears Ukrainian POWs have been coerced to fight against their fellow citizens by Russia, says ISW". Yahoo Sports. 28 October 2023.
2. Shashkova, Maryna (2023-12-29). "Kyiv Intelligence Disputes Russian Claims of Ukrainian POW Battalion". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
3. "Entry Display Web Page".
4. "Russian state media: Ukrainian POWs will fight for Russia in Ukraine". 28 October 2023.
5. "Russian Media Claims Ukrainian POWs Have Volunteered to Fight for Moscow". 9 November 2023.
6. "Russian state media: Ukrainian POWs will fight for Russia in Ukraine". 28 October 2023.
7. "Russia may deploy battalion composed of Ukrainian POWs to front".
8. "Russia has deployed battalion of Ukrainian prisoners of war to frontline - ISW". 30 December 2023.
9. Parfitt, Tom. "Russia 'sends captured Ukrainian fighters to battle Kyiv's troops'".
10. "Russia to deploy Ukrainian POWs in conflict, breaching Geneva convention: ISW - English Section - polskieradio.pl". polskieradio.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2024-02-06.
11. "Russia likely coercing Ukrainian POWs to fight in Russian Military: ISW". Newsweek. 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
12. "Russia sent a unit of Ukrainian POWs into battle against their own countrymen, analysts say". 2 January 2024.
13. "Russian state media: Ukrainian POWs will fight for Russia in Ukraine". 28 October 2023.
14. "Fears Ukrainian POWs have been coerced to fight against their fellow citizens by Russia, says ISW". Business Insider.
15. AP (2023-11-08). "Ukrainian PoWs being sent to fight their own army, Russian news claims". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
16. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/23867
17. "Russia reportedly is using Ukrainian POWs to fight in their homeland on Moscow's side".

• Military units and formations established in 2023
• Military units and formations of Russia in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Ukrainian prisoners of war
• Ukrainian collaborators with Russia
• Ukrainian defectors