Unit Name: | 110th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Order of Republic Brigade |
Native Name: | 110-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая бригада |
Dates: | 2015–present |
Command Structure: | 1st Donetsk Army Corps |
Type: | Republican Guard |
Role: | Protection of government officials and installations |
Garrison: | Donetsk |
Nickname: | “The Hundredth Brigade” (Сотая бригада) “Sotka” (Сотка) |
Battles: | War in Donbass |
Commander1 Label: | Commander-in-chief |
Identification Symbol Label: | Flag |
The 110th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade (Russian: 110-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая бригада, 110 омсбр; Military Unit Number 08826), is a unit of the Russian Ground Forces.
Before 1 January 2023 it was known as the 100th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Order of Republic Brigade (Russian: 100-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая ордена Республики бригада, 100 омсбр) a military unit of 1st Army Corps, that forms the army of the Donetsk People's Republic. Serving as an element under the 1st Army Corps of the DPR's Ministry of Defence,[1] it is tasked with defence of its assigned territories using rapid reaction, reconnaissance and spetsnaz components.[2]
The unit was established as Republican Guard of the DPR (Республиканская гвардия ДНР) by DPR leader Alexander Zakharchenko on January 12, 2015.[3] [4] On August 15, 2015 it was renamed as 100th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade as a Russian military unit № 08826 (в/ч 08826).On August 15, 2015, the Republican Guard became subordinate to the First Army Corps of the Ministry of Defense of the DPR.[5] It received its battle banner on September 18, 2015. The 100th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade was based in Olenivka and Donetsk City. The DPR RG was commanded by Major General Ivan Kondratov, who was arrested in September 2018.[6] In September 2022, the 100th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade reportedly began recruiting prisoners from prisons across Donetsk.[7]
One of its units, the Pyatnashka battalion (the fifteeners), is named after the first 15 volunteers in Donetsk, which included its leader Akhra Avidzba, a veteran of the Abkhazian conflict. The Pyatnashka battalion defended a checkpoint in Staronavtiv street just south of the Donetsk International Airport, where heavy fighting was ongoing.
Many units of the Republican Guard had been in 2016 reformed into the 100th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade. .[8] The 100th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade was formed as a rapid reaction force with nine battalion tactical groups, two independent companies, and one separate battalion, with a combined size of between 3,000-5,000. the two separate companies include a reconnaissance battalion nicknamed "Patriot" based in Oleksandrivka and the "Viking" company. The 8th BTG, nicknamed "Pyatnashka" is a mainly Abkhazian volunteer battalion.
The 100th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade defended the area of the front line going from Olenivka to Donetsk International Airport.[9]
It took part in the Battle of Marinka.[10]
In the January 2017 Battle of Avdiivka, the losses of the 1st Battalion of the 100th Brigade were estimated at nine killed and up to thirty wounded,[11] among whom was Ivan Balakay, a combatant nicknamed "Greek".[12]