The Separate Guards Motor Rifle Assault Battalion "Somalia" named after M. S. Tolstykh (OShB Somalia, MUN 08828; Russian : Отдельный гвардейский мотострелковый штурмовой батальон «Сомали» имени М. С. Толстых , ОШБ Сомали, в/ч 08828), often known as Somalia Battalion , is a military unit of Russian Ground Forces . Until January 1, 2023 it was part of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). It is attached to the 51st Guards Combined Arms Army . Its current commander is Timur Kurilkin.
8-608: The Somalia Battalion was formed in the summer of 2014 in Ilovaisk as the Separate Company "Somalia", and was commanded in its first few years by Mikhail Tolstykh , a native of Ilovaisk who went by the nom de guerre ‘Givi’. The name of the unit supposedly derived from the "irregular" look of its first fighters, and got its name because when fighters lined up for the first time "…they were dressed in all manner of civilian clothes, such as shorts and trainers, did not look like
16-488: A combat force, and, in their view, resembled Somali pirates". In the fall of 2014, the company was raised to battalion strength and deployed into the 1st Separate Battalion Tactical Group “Somalia”. In the fall of 2014 – winter 2015, the group took part in the second battle of Donetsk airport . In early 2015, it was reformed into the Separate Mechanized Battalion “Somalia”, which in spring 2015
24-863: Is a city in Donetsk Raion , Donetsk Oblast , Ukraine ; residence of Ilovaisk urban hromada . The city is de facto under the military occupation of Russia and administered by the Donetsk People's Republic . The city is known as a major regional railroad hub. It was also the site of a battle in the War in Donbas . The city has a population of 15,396 (2022 estimate) , 17,620 (2001). Starting in mid-April 2014, Russian paramilitaries captured several towns in Donetsk Oblast, including Ilovaisk. On 19 August 2014, Ukrainian forces reportedly secured
32-580: Is alleged he was killed by his own side because he knew who shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 , or that he was killed by Ukrainian forces. After the death of the commander the battalion was named after him. The battalion took part in the Siege of Mariupol alongside Russian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine . In 2022, while being decorated by the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin , Senior Lieutenant of
40-537: The city centre from the Russia-backed militants; fighting for control of other parts of the town continued. The next morning they claimed they had control over one half of the town, with the town divided by a railroad line. On 21 August, the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed that heavy fighting continued "in some districts of Ilovaisk", while the Russia-backed forces claimed they had repelled
48-666: The Somalia Battalion Roman Vorobyov was shown wearing a Totenkopf and a valknut symbol on his arm patch; both symbols are associated with Nazi Germany . The battalion participated in the Battle of Avdiivka . The battalion has T-64 and T-72 tanks, BMP-1 , BTR-70 , MT-LB and BRDM-2 armoured fighting vehicles as well as supporting artillery, mortars and transport vehicles. Ilovaisk Ilovaisk ( Ukrainian : Іловайськ , pronounced [iɫoˈwajsʲk] ; Russian : Иловайск )
56-539: The Ukrainian military and surrounded a contingent of Ukrainian troops. Fighting for control of the town continued over the next days. The Russian Armed Forces retook the city as of 1 September 2014. Ethnic composition according to the 2001 Ukrainian census . Native language as of the Ukrainian Census of 2001 : [REDACTED] Media related to Ilovaisk at Wikimedia Commons This article about
64-471: Was renamed the 1st Separate Tank Ilovaisk Battalion. In September 2015, during another reorganization, the unit was reformed into the Separate Motor Rifle (Assault) Battalion "Somalia". On 12 February, 2016, the unit was awarded the honorary designation "Guards". In February 2017, the unit's commander, Mikhail Tolstykh, was assassinated in his office with a RPO-A Shmel rocket launcher. It
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