Shkval Battalion is a Ukrainian military unit made up of former convicts. It was formed after the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada ( ; VR), officially the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is the unicameralism, unicameral parliament of Ukraine. It consists of 450 Deputy (legislator), deputies presided over by a speaker. The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovn ...

passed Registered draft law No. 11079 which allowed for the mobilization of convicts into the Ukrainian Army.

History

Formation

Members of the battalion are offered wages ranging from $500 to $4,000 per month, depending on time spent on the front line. However, they are required serve in the military until the end of the war. Members of the battalion were then trained by other Ukrainian units. In September 2024, the 59th Brigade's Shkval battalion told reporters that they are making legal requests in order to allow more murderers of various degrees to join their ranks.

Treatment and use

Protection for Prisoners of Ukraine leader Oleg Tsvily said that his organization "supports the idea behind the law but the text that was passed is discriminatory". He also raised concerns about convicts being abused by their commanders and used as

cannon fodder Cannon fodder is an informal, derogatory term for combatants who are regarded or treated by government or military command as expendable in the face of enemy fire. The term is generally used in situations where combatants are forced to fight agains ...

. Some convicts said that they had only had 20 days of training before being sent to the frontline.

Combat performance

Shkval battalions saw action during the Pokrovsk offensive. Ukrainian media outlets reported that Shkval Battalions fight bravely and made claims that they "destroy Russian forces in large numbers." One officer with the callsign "Kit" spoke with UNN about the 47th Mechanized Brigade's Shkval Battalion where he praised their motivation but said that there were "issues with their upbringing". The unit took part in the defense of the village Druzhba. Yevgeny Alkhimov, an officer of the 28th Mechanized Brigade, praised the soldiers of the brigade's Shkval battalion after an assault on Russia positions northeast of the city of

Toretsk Toretsk (; ) is an industrial city in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Toretsk urban hromada. As of January 2022, its population was approximately It has its origins as the hamlet Shcher ...

saying that the soldiers "showed themselves very well at the tactical level in order to level the positions, to somehow improve our situation. Actually, they stormed enemy positions and repulsed them".

Units with Shkval Battalions

28th Mechanized Brigade The 28th Mechanized Brigade () is a mechanized brigade and part of the formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. History The original 28th Guards Rifle Division was formed during the Second World War from the 180th Rifle Division in May 1942 ...

* 35th Marine Brigade * 47th Mechanized Brigade (Nicknamed Squall Battalion) * 57th Motorized Brigade *

59th Motorized Brigade The 59th Separate Assault Brigade () is a formation of the Unmanned Systems Forces formed in 2014 as part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The brigade was activated on 8 December 2014 in the city of Haisyn in Vinnytsia Oblast and took command of ...

(Nicknamed Wind Gust Battalion) * 93rd Mechanized Brigade 93Mech Shkval

(Nicknamed Alkatraz. Also known as the Specialized Rifle Battalion) * 129th Territorial Defense Brigadehttps://suspilne.media/sumy/937197-mi-persi-prapor-ukraini-postavili-na-storoni-rosian-ak-vouut-kolisni-uvazneni-u-skladi-specpidrozdilu-skval/

References

{{reflist Military units and formations of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2024 2024 establishments in Ukraine Penal military units