The Prizrak Brigade (Russian: Бригада «Призрак», romanized: Brigada "Prizrak", lit. 'Ghost Brigade'), founded by Aleksey Mozgovoy, is an infantry unit of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR), one of the self-proclaimed breakaway states located in the Donbas.[3] It has been officially designated Prizrak Mechanized Brigade and 4th Territorial Defense Brigade (Alchevsk).[4] According to Amnesty International, the unit is one of the separatist units known for brutal treatment and torture of prisoners of war.[5] Until January 1, 2023, it was part of the Luhansk People's Militia. It is attached to the 3rd Guards Combined Arms Army.
| Prizrak Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Бригада «Призрак» | |
 Service sleeve insignia of the Prizrak Battalion | |
| Active | April 2014–present |
| Allegiance |  Luhansk People's Republic (2014–2022) Russia (2022–present) |
| Branch | Army of the South-East (2014) LPR People's Militia (2014–2022) Russian Ground Forces (2022–present) |
| Size | c. 3,000 (claimed, 2014)[1] |
| Part of |  3rd Guards Combined Arms Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Luhansk |
| Nickname(s) | "Antrastsit Cossacks"[2] |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Yuri Shevchenko |
| Notable commanders | Aleksey Mozgovoy Artur Bogachenko † |
History
editThe unit was established in late 2014 after anti-Maidan protesters occupied the RSA buildings in Luhansk. It began as a platoon sized unit, but in August 2014 it became a battalion as the number of fighters grew to 1,000.[6] The commander of the Brigade Aleksey Mozgovoy claimed in late December 2014 that he had up to 3,000 fighters.[1] The brigade quickly earned a "feared" reputation and was regarded as one of the best units loyal to the LPR. However, the Prizrak Brigade deliberately stayed outside the developing umbrella structures among the separatists, initially neither joining the Army of the South-East or the LPR People's Militia.[7] In early 2015, it fought in the Battle of Debaltseve.[2]
Mozgovoy was killed in an IED and gun ambush on 23 May 2015 along with a number of his bodyguards. Separatist authorities blamed Ukrainian assassins, but investigators and members of his unit suspected that his local rivals were responsible.[8] Researcher Mark Galeotti argued that the assassination was "mysterious" and noted that the Prizrak Brigade ceased its great autonomy following Mozgovoy's death.[7] The unit was subsequently reorganized as the "4th Territorial Defense Brigade (Alchevsk)" of the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya.[9][4] In the same year, all "military units" of the DPR and LPR were designated as "terrorist organisations" by Supreme Court of Ukraine.[10][11] Security Service of Ukraine has been pursuing units members in order to detain them since then.[12][13]
On 24 October 2020 Aleksey Markov, political and military leader of the group after the assassination of Aleksey Mozgovoy, died in a car accident.[14]
In the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Prizrak Brigade took part in the Eastern Ukraine offensive.[15]
On 29 July 2023 during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, the brigade's commander Artur Bogachenko was killed in action fighting against Ukrainian soldiers near the village Klishchiivka.[16][17]
Organization
edit
The Prizrak Brigade considers itself both a military combat unit as well as an anti-Imperialist and revolutionary socialist political organization.[18]
Membership of the Prizrak Brigade is primarily made up of eastern Ukrainians and Russian nationals. However, due to their political ethos the unit does draw in a number of foreign volunteers. These foreigners come from France,[19] Italy,[15] Brazil,[20][21] Spain, Norway and Colombia.[18] In the brigade's early phase, several foreign volunteers were associated with Unité Continentale, a group which described itself as socialist and enlisted both French as well as Brazilians,[18] but had reportedly been founded by French ultranationalists.[19]
In 2015, a far-left military political unit composed of internationalist volunteers called "Interunit" was built inside the Prizrak Brigade, and operated until 2017. The emblem of the unit was that of the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War. The bulk of the unit's volunteers came from Spain and it was commanded by an Italian fighter called "Nemo".[22] By 2019, the foreigners mainly operated as part of the Prizrak Brigade's Unit 404 and the Biryukov-Markov Unit.[7] The latter, alternatively called the "Volunteer Communist Detachment", was mostly composed of Communists and commanded by Pyotr Biryukov.[7][23]
The Prizrak Brigade also includes many individuals claiming Cossack heritage, resulting in it being nicknamed the "Antrastsit Cossacks".[2]
War crimes
editA former Ukrainian POW of the Prizrak Brigade told Amnesty International that his captors had brutally mistreated him and other prisoners, with daily beatings, near-starvation, and stabbing and shootings. The group also forced prisoners to read confessions on Russian TV.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Luhn, Alec (22 December 2014). "The People's Court of Eastern Ukraine". The Nation. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ a b c Galeotti 2019, p. 24.
- ^ Galeotti 2019, pp. 24, 28.
- ^ a b Galeotti 2019, p. 30.
- ^ a b Breaking Bodies: Torture and summary killings in eastern Ukraine
- ^ "Мозговой штурм: раскол в рядах луганских ополченцев". 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- ^ a b c d Galeotti 2019, p. 28.
- ^ "The last days of Aleksey Mozgovoi, rebel hero of the 'Ghost' battalion - killed in an ambush". independent.co.uk. 24 May 2015. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "Бригада "Призрак" Алексея Мозгового вошла в состав "Народной милиции" "ЛНР"". Ostrovok News. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Про Заяву Верховної Ради України "Про визнання Україною юрисдикції Міжнародного кримінального суду щодо скоєння злочинів проти людяності та воєнних злочинів вищими посадовими особами Російської Федерації та керівниками терористичних організацій "ДНР" та "ЛНР", які призвели до особливо тяжких наслідків та масового вбивства українських громадян"]". Verkhovna Rada (in Ukrainian).
- ^ "Постанова Верховного Суду щодо визнання діяльності терористичною". Supreme Court of Ukraine (in Ukrainian).
- ^ "Leader of "Brianka USSR" terrorist group is convicted to 15-year imprisonment". Security Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Donetsk region: SBU uncovers militant who mined six bridges". Security Service of Ukraine. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Statement of the Central Committee of the CP of the DPR in connection with the tragic death of Alexey Markov". wpered.su. 25 October 2020.
- ^ a b "Italian killed fighting for pro-Russia militia in Donbass". ANSA. 1 April 2022.
- ^ https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ghost-battalion-commander-killed-ukraine-bakhmut-counteroffensive-artur-bogachenko-1816147 [bare URL]
- ^ https://www.news18.com/videos/world/russia-s-ghost-brigade-commander-killed-in-ukraine-will-bogachenko-s-death-tilt-donbas-scales-8463175.html [bare URL]
- ^ a b c Klaubert, David (2 October 2014). "Ausländische Kämpfer in der Ostukraine: "Neurussland oder Tod"". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). ISSN 0174-4909.
- ^ a b Riché, Pascal (26 August 2014). "Ukraine : des volontaires français dans une brigade pro-russe". Le Nouvel Observateur (in French).
- ^ "Brasileiro acusado de terrorismo na Ucrânia é preso no interior de SP". Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2022-02-22.
- ^ "Ukrainian court sentences Brazilian mercenary to 13 years in prison". UAWire. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- ^ Rostelli, Fabrizio (8 December 2017). "Nome di battaglia Nemo". il manifesto (in Italian).
- ^ Координационный центр помощи Новороссии [Coordinational Centre for the assistance of Novorossia] (in Russian). kcpn.info/. Archived from the original on 2015-04-21. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
Works cited
edit- Galeotti, Mark (2019). Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781472833440.