Belarusian Volunteer Corps
| Belarusian Volunteer Corps | |
|---|---|
| Беларускі добраахвотніцкі корпус Білоруський добровольчий корпус | |
 | |
| Founded | 2022 – present |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Allegiance | Ukraine Belarusian opposition |
| Size | ~70[1] |
| Part of | Armed Forces of Ukraine |
| Engagements | Russian Invasion of Ukraine |
The Belarusian Volunteer Corps (Belarusian: Беларускі добраахвотніцкі корпус) is a military formation of Belarusian volunteers working as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, formed in 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
History
[edit]On December 25, 2022, Belarusian volunteers Ihor "Yanki" Yankov, Andriy "Bezsmertnyi" Trotsevsky and Rodion "Gena" Batulin announced the creation of the Belarusian Volunteer Corps, made up of several different Belarusian units that have been fighting the Russian Army in Ukraine.[4][5]
Previously, the leaders of the new formation were members of various volunteer units. Thus, "Yanki" gathered the commander of the Belarusian unit in the Ukrainian volunteer battalion "Brotherhood", the machine gunner of the Ukrainian group "Tradition and Order", the commander of the international battalion "Titan". Before the start of the full-scale war, Rodion Batulin was known as one of the closest associates of Serhii "Botsman" Korotkyh, later he became a representative of the "Terror" battalion. This formation split from the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment in the summer of 2022 and operated as an independent unit before joining the Belarusian Volunteer Corps.[6][7]
The unit took part in the 2023 Belgorod Oblast incursions through the Terror Battalion alongside the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Polish Volunteer Corps.[2] The unit took part in the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, fighting along the Donetsk front where the unit has suffered at least one fatality.[3][8]
In December 2023, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus designated the unit as an extremist group.[9]
See also
[edit]- International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine
- Russian Volunteer Corps
- Polish Volunteer Corps
References
[edit]- ^ Колькі беларускіх добраахвотнікаў ваюе ва Ўкраіне і дзе. Абноўлены гайд па ўсіх фармаваньнях
- ^ a b "Здаецца, у Белгарадскай вобласці пабывалі беларускія добраахвотнікі" (in Belarusian). European Radio for Belarus. 3 June 2023. Archived from the original on 17 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Belarusian volunteer killed at contact zone". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "Ва Украіне з'явілася новае фармаванне — "Беларускі Добраахвотніцкі Корпус"". euroradio.fm (in Belarusian). 25 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Игорь «Янки» объяснил причину создания Белорусского Добровольческого Корпуса". Наша Ніва (in Russian). 27 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ REFORM.by (25 December 2022). "Игорь "Янки", Андрей «Бессмертный» и Родион "Гена" создали "Беларускі Добраахвотніцкі Корпус"". REFORM.by (in Russian). Retrieved 31 December 2022.
- ^ "Воюющие на стороне Киева белорусские националисты объявили о создании нового военного формирования «Белорусский Добровольческий корпус»" (in Russian). cont.ws. 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Belarusian Volunteers Died In Ukraine". charter97. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ "МВД признало "экстремистским формированием" Белорусский добровольческий корпус" (in Russian). 14 December 2023.
