Skala Battalion Explained
| Unit Name: | Skala Battalion |
| Native Name: | Ukrainian: Батальйон розвідки Скала |
| Dates: | 2022–present |
| Country: |  Ukraine |
| Branch: | Ukrainian Army |
| Type: | Intelligence |
| Size: | Over 100 by December 2022 |
| Battles: |
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| Current Commander: | Maj. Yuriy Harkaviy ″Skala″ |
The Skala Battalion (Ukrainian: Батальйон розвідки Скала) is a Ukrainian military intelligence volunteer unit formed by Yuriy Harkaviy, whose nickname Skala ("cliff") gave the unit its name. It has taken part in operations in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine such as assaults on enemy positions and using aerial drones to hunt Russian soldiers, having success in the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive working with the 93rd Mechanized Brigade.[1] [2] [3]
Harkaviy, having initially joined a unit when the invasion started dominated by men with limited military experience, but who attempted to make up for it with bravery, formed the unit by recruiting men of similar spirit and supplying them with steady supplies, starting off by ambushing Russian tank columns. Members of the Skala Battalion wear badges emblazoned with two antitank weapons and a drone. Using their drones the unit looks for targets to report to friendly headquarters, who then relay the information to artillery gunners who themselves can use the drones to correct their fire on enemy positions.
History
The Skala Battalion took part in the defense of Bakhmut, being in the immediate vicinity when a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 was shot down.[1] [2] [3]
During the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, the battalion was deployed on the southern front in the Zaporizhzhia direction, participating in the Ukrainian advance into Robotyne.[4] [5]
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: Satolli . Emanuele . The Bravery and the Recklessness of Ukraine's Improvised Army . WSJ . 29 December 2022 . 24 January 2023 . 23 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123095500/https://www.wsj.com/articles/ukraine-military-kharkiv-russia-war-landmines-11672326884 . live .
- Web site: Axe . David . Ukrainian Scouts Were In Their Foxholes Near Bakhmut When A Russian Bomber Came Crashing Down . Forbes . 6 December 2022 . 24 January 2023 . 24 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230124145659/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2022/12/06/ukrainian-scouts-were-in-their-foxholes-near-bakhmut-when-a-russian-bomber-came-crashing-down/ . live .
- Web site: Moore . Jason . In Bakhmout, the traces of the terrible Russian relentlessness . UK Daily News . 2 January 2023 . 24 January 2023 . 8 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230408201256/https://ukdaily.news/in-bakhmout-the-traces-of-the-terrible-russian-relentlessness-276883.html . live .
- Web site: Smilianets . Vladyslav . Ukraine will speed up advance on southern front, commander says . Reuters . 26 August 2023 . 6 September 2023 . 5 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230905105649/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-will-speed-up-advance-southern-front-commander-2023-08-26/ . live .
- Web site: За день Зеленський відвідав військових 11 бригад у Донецькій і Запорізькій областях: хто став Героєм України. 5 September 2023. novynarnia.com. uk. 6 September 2023. 6 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230906044317/https://novynarnia.com/2023/09/04/za-den-zelenskyj-vidvidav-vijskovyh-11-brygad-u-doneczkij-i-zaporizkij-oblastyah-hto-stav-geroyem-ukrayiny/. live.
