Somalia Battalion

Separate Guards Motor Rifle Assault Battalion "Somalia" named after M. S. Tolstykh

Отдельный гвардейский мотострелковый штурмовой батальон «Сомали» имени М. С. Толстых

Sleeve insignia

Active| 2014–present
Country|  Donetsk People's Republic (2014–2022)
Russia (2022–present)
Branch|  DPR People's Militia (2015–2022)
Russian Ground Forces (2022–present)
Type| Assault Battalion
Part of|  51st Combined Arms Army
Garrison/HQ| Donetsk
Patron| Mikhail Tolstykh
Colors| Black, blue, red, and white
Engagements|

* Russo-Ukrainian War
* War in Donbas
* Battle of Ilovaisk
* Second Battle of Donetsk Airport
* Battle of Avdiivka
* Invasion of Ukraine
* Second Battle of Avdiivka
* Siege of Mariupol
* Battle of Pisky
* Pokrovsk offensive

Battle honours|  Guards
Commanders
Current
commander| Unknown
Notable
commanders| Mikhail 'Givi' Tolstykh †
Timur Kurilkin [ru]

Military unit

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.[1] It was commanded by Timur Kurilkin until he was appointed commander of the 9th Motor Rifle Brigade.[2][3]

## History

[edit]

Member of the Somalia Battalion in Donetsk Airport

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 a combat force, and, in their view, resembled Somali pirates".[4]

Emblem used during the Battalion Tactical Group period

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 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".[5]

In February 2017, the unit's commander, Mikhail Tolstykh, was assassinated in his office with a RPO-A Shmel rocket launcher. It 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.[6] After the death of the commander the battalion was named after him.[5]

The battalion took part in the Siege of Mariupol alongside Russian forces during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[2] In 2022, while being decorated by the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, Senior Lieutenant of 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.[7] The battalion participated in the Battle of Avdiivka.[8]

## Equipment

[edit]

Main article: List of equipment used by Russian separatist forces of the war in Donbas

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.[citation needed]

## See also

[edit]

* Russian separatist forces in Donbas
* Prizrak Brigade
* Sparta Battalion

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Батальон "Сомали": история создания и боевой путь" [Battalion “Somalia”: history of creation and combat path]. amalantra.ru. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
2. ^ a b ХАНАРИН, Никита МАКАРЕНКОВ | Павел (2022-04-03). "Донбасскому комбату "Сомали" Тимуру Курилкину присвоили звание Героя ДНР и передали Орден Мужества от Путина". donetsk.kp.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-04-04.
3. ^ Борта, Юлия (2023-11-19). "Командир «пиратов». Комбриг «Байкот» рассказал о лучшей работе в мире" [Commander of the "pirates". Kombrig "Baykot" told about the best job in the world]. AiF (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-12-25.
4. ^ Crowther, Edward R.; Crowther, Edward R. (2022). Armed formations of the Donetsk People's Republic, 2014-2022. War in Ukraine / Edward Crowther. Warwick: Helion & Company Limited. p. 48\. ISBN 978-1-915070-66-1.
5. ^ a b "Проекты нарукавных нашивок Отдельного штурмового батальона "Сомали"" [Drafts of shoulder patches of the Somali Separate Assault Battalion]. ronin-077.livejournal.com. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
6. ^ Šmíd, Tomáš & Šmídová, Alexandra. (2021). Anti-government Non-state Armed Actors in the Conflict in Eastern Ukraine. Czech Journal of International Relations, Volume 56, Issue 2. pp.45-46.
7. ^ "A soldier with neo-Nazi symbols on his arm was given a medal by a Russia-backed separatist republic for killing Ukrainian 'nationalists'". Business Insider. 6 April 2022.
8. ^ "Institute for the Study of War".

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Russo-Ukrainian War

Background|

* Dissolution of the Soviet Union
* Black Sea Fleet dispute
* Budapest Memorandum
* 2003 Tuzla Island conflict
* Orange Revolution
* 2007 Munich speech of Vladimir Putin
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Main events|

* Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
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* List of Russian units which invaded the territory of Ukraine
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Impact and
reactions|

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Cyberwarfare|

* 2015 Ukraine power grid hack
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Media|

* Little green men
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* Films

Related|

* Russia–Ukraine relations
* Russian language in Ukraine
* Demolition of monuments to Vladimir Lenin in Ukraine
* 2014 anti-war protests in Russia
* Ruscism
* 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism
* Control of cities
* Aircraft losses during the Russo-Ukrainian War
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* Moldova and the Russo-Ukrainian War
* Ukraine and electronic warfare
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* Category

* v
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War in Donbas (2014–2022)

* Part of the Russo-Ukrainian War
* Followed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine

General
topics|

* Aircraft losses
* Humanitarian situation
* International reactions
* Sanctions
* Sanctioned people
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* Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine
* Civil volunteer movement
* Little green men
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Timeline|

* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022

Battles|

* Battle of Artemivsk
* Siege of Sloviansk
* Battle of Kramatorsk
* Battle of Mariupol
* Battles of Sievierodonetsk
* Battle of Karlivka
* 1st Battle of Donetsk Airport
* Siege of the Luhansk border base
* Battle of Krasnyi Lyman
* Zelenopillia rocket attack
* Battle in Shakhtarsk Raion
* Battle of Horlivka
* Battle of Ilovaisk
* Novosvitlivka refugee convoy attack
* Battle of Novoazovsk
* Mariupol offensive
* 2nd Battle of Donetsk Airport
* Battle of Debaltseve
* Shyrokyne standoff
* Battle of Marinka
* Battle of Svitlodarsk
* Battle of Avdiivka (2017)

Other
events|

* Donbas status referendums
* Ukrainian Air Force Il-76 shootdown
* Shelling of Donetsk, Russia
* 2014 Russian cross-border shelling of Ukraine
* MH17 shoot-down
* reactions
* UNSC Resolution 2166
* NATO summit in Wales
* Minsk Protocol
* Donbas general elections
* 2014 G20 Brisbane summit
* Volnovakha bus attack
* Mariupol rocket attack
* Kramatorsk rocket attack
* Minsk II ceasefire agreement
* Kharkiv bombing
* Assassination of Alexander Zakharchenko
* Donbas general elections
* No to capitulation!
* Stanytsia Luhanska kindergarten bombing

Self-proclaimed
states|

* Donetsk People's Republic (April 2014 – September 2022)
* Luhansk People's Republic (April 2014 – September 2022)
* Novorossiya (May 2014 – May 2015)
* International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic

(Pro-)
Russian|

| Organizations|

* Russian Armed Forces
* Wagner Group
* Separatist forces
* List of equipment
* Army of the South-East
* Russian Orthodox Army
* Vostok Battalion
* Kalmius Brigade
* Sparta Battalion
* Somalia Battalion
* Prizrak Brigade
* Political parties and movements
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* New Russia Party
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* Peace to Luhanshchina
* Borotba
* Antifascist Committee of Ukraine
* Ukrainian Choice
* The Other Russia of E. V. Limonov
* Eurasian Youth Union
* Night Wolves
* Don Cossacks
* Internet Research Agency
* Russian Imperial Movement

|

Lead figures|

* Russian
* Vladimir Putin
* Dmitry Medvedev
* Vladislav Surkov
* Sergei Shoigu
* Crimean
* Sergey Aksyonov
* Vladimir Konstantinov
* Natalia Poklonskaya
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* Igor Girkin
* Pavel Gubarev
* Ekaterina Gubareva
* Igor Khakimzyanov
* Alexander Khodakovsky
* Vladimir Kononov
* Arsen Pavlov†
* Vyacheslav Ponomarev
* Andrei Purgin
* Denis Pushilin
* Mikhail Tolstykh†
* Alexander Zakharchenko†
* Sergei Zhurikov
* Luhansk
* Alexander Bednov†
* Valery Bolotov†
* Aleksey Karyakin
* Aleksandr Kharitonov
* Arsen Klinchaev
* Sergey Kozlov
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* Leonid Pasechnik
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* Gennadiy Tsypkalov†
* Kharkiv
* Yevhen Zhylin†
* Others
* Aleksandr Dugin
* Nelya Shtepa
* Oleg Tsaryov

Ukrainian|

| Organizations|

* Government of Ukraine
* 1st Yatsenyuk
* 2nd Yatsenyuk
* Groysman
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* National Guard
* Azov
* Donbas
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* Security Service of Ukraine
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* Euromaidan Press
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* Volunteer battalions
* Right Sector

|

Lead figures|

* Petro Poroshenko
* Oleksandr Turchynov
* Arseniy Yatsenyuk
* Volodymyr Groysman
* Andriy Parubiy
* Arsen Avakov
* Vitali Klitschko
* Oleh Tyahnybok
* Yuriy Lutsenko
* Valentyn Nalyvaichenko
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* Stepan Poltorak
* Mykhailo Koval
* Mykhailo Kutsyn
* Oleh Makhnitskyi
* Viktor Muzhenko
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* Dmytro Yarosh
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