Siberian Battalion: who are these Russians fighting for Ukraine?

This article was originally published in Russian

When and where was the ‘Siberia’ battalion created?

The Siberian Volunteer Battalion (Sibir) was established in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) at the end of October 2023. It operates as part of the International Legion under the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Before “Sibir”, two other units of Russian fighters had already been created in the ranks of the AFU: the “Freedom of Russia” Legion (LSR) and the “Russian Volunteer Corps” (RDK). ‘Siberia’ is therefore the third. But unlike the first two, devoted to the defense of the territory, she is part of the regular Ukrainian army.

Who is part of this unit?

In this unit, Russian citizens fight alongside Ukraine. These are mainly representatives of indigenous peoples of the Trans-Ural region, Siberia and the Far North. But there are also ethnic Russians. They all have one thing in common: they do not agree with Russia’s war in Ukraine, they consider the Kremlin’s policy to be aggressive and, according to them, they do not want to be complicit in evil.

The ‘Siberia’ group also stands out for its pro-independence discourse. Tatars, Yakuts, Buryats and representatives of other peoples joined the Ukrainian army, declaring that they intend to fight for “self-determination of the peoples of Russia” and achieve independence towards Moscow. They view Ukraine’s victory in the war as a step toward this goal.

How did they get to Ukraine?

The battalion has around sixty men. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry claims thatnone of them were recruited from Russian prisoners of war. They are all volunteers and arrived in Ukraine via third countries, which takes a long time, from several months to a year.

For example, one of the fighters, a former officer of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate and a native of Yakutsk, arrived in Ukraine through the Civil Council in Poland, which had announced the recruitment of volunteers for national units within of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Several other people accompanied him. Another says he went first to Mongolia, then to Turkey, and from there to Ukraine.

A strict check before joining the battalion

Before signing a contract and adopting military codes to conceal their identity, all fighters from “Siberia” are subject to thorough monitoring by the Ukrainian security servicewhich examines their profile and biodata and cross-checks to rule out the possibility of infiltration by Russian agents.

Indeed, the risk that the new battalion will turn their weapons against the Ukrainian armed forces or that certain people will provide data to the Russians cannot be ruled out. That is why the middle staff and the management staff are made up of Ukrainian military personnel.

Sources within the AFU say Kiyv plans to speed up the background check process to encourage more Russians to join the battalion.

Training, goal and objectives

Most of the volunteers had no military experience before going to Ukraine. Before leaving for the front, they are trained at a training ground near Kiyv.

The aim is to show that the Russians fighting against Putin’s regime are not limited to volunteers from the LSR and the RDK, but thatthey are also part of the regular units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The ‘Siberia’ battalion is a small military structure, and for now its main task is to demonstrate that there is a will to resist in Russia, and that these Russians are ready to take up arms if necessary.

It should be clarified that the Russian army also has its own unit called ‘Siberia’a Cossack reconnaissance and assault brigade, which fought against Ukrainian troops near the village of Yagodnoye, near Bakhmut, in May 2023.