The Sibir Battalion ( uk, Батальйон «Сибір», Batalion “Sybir”,

Siberian Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

Battalion; russian: Батальон «Сибирь», Batalon “Sibir”) is a paramilitary group made up of Russian citizens opposed to the

Putin administration The politics of Russia take place in the framework of the federal semi-presidential republic of Russia. According to the Constitution of Russia, the President of Russia is head of state, and of a multi-party system with executive power exercis ...

. Members of this unit include Russians, Yakuts, and

Buryats The Buryats ( bua, Буряад, Buryaad; mn, Буриад, Buriad) are a Mongolic peoples, Mongolic ethnic group native to southeastern Siberia who speak the Buryat language. They are one of the two largest indigenous groups in Siberia, the oth ...

, who see Ukraine's victory as an opportunity to gain independence or wide autonomy from Russia. Before signing a contract, citizens of the Russian Federation undergo a thorough inspection, which can last up to a year. The battalion does not recruit captured Russian soldiers. The unit fought in the Battle of Avdiivka. On 12 March 2024, the unit participated in a raid into the

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

and Belgorod regions of Russia alongside the

Freedom of Russia Legion uk, Легіон «Свобода Росії» , image = Patch of the Ukrainian Free Russian Legion.svg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Patch, co ...

. The commander of the battalion is Vladislav Ammosov. He is an ethnic Yakut, and claims to have worked in Russia's GRU foreign military intelligence agency for 15 years. He fought in the First and Second Chechen wars. Ammosov supports independence for his native Sakha (Yakutia).Історія російського офіцера ГРУ, який воює на боці України за незалежність Якутії
19 May 2023. The Sibir battalion uses the unofficial flag of Siberia, a horizontal white-green bi-color.

References

{{authority control Regiments of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2023 Russia–Ukraine relations Opposition to Vladimir Putin Territorial defence battalions of Ukraine Belarusian and Russian partisan movement (2022–present)

See also

References