Terror Battalion Explained

Unit Name:Terror Battalion
Native Name:Батальён "Тэрор"
Батальйон "Терор"
Start Date:February 2023 – present
Country: Ukraine
Allegiance: Ukraine
Belarusian opposition
Command Structure:Armed Forces of Ukraine
Colours Label:-->
Battles:Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Identification Symbol Label:Flag

The Terror Battalion (Belarusian: Батальён "Тэрор"; Ukrainian: Батальйон "Терор") is a military formation of Belarusian volunteers (formerly a company) fighting in the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the Ukrainian side. The unit was named after a Belarusian soldier who died during the defense of Irpin, and was created in 2022.

History

Zmitser (Dmytro) Apanasovych (in Belarusian: Зьміцер Мар'янавіч Апанасовiч) was a soldier of the Ukrainian volunteer battalion Kastus Kalinovsky who went by the call sign "Terror": he died on March 24, 2022, from a combat wound near the city of Irpin.[2] [3] In his honor, a new unit was formed, and its creation was announced in July 2022.[4] In August of that year, the unit was separated from the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment and became independent.

In September 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus recognized the Internet groups of the battalion and other Belarusian military formations in Ukraine as extremist formations;[5] creating and participating in an extremist organization is a criminal offense under Belarusian law.[6]

On November 14, 2022, one of the soldiers of the battalion received an award from Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to Kherson.[7]

On December 27, 2022, the battalion announced its entry into the Belarusian Volunteer Corps as one of its main units.[8]

Combat operations

Since April 2022, the battalion participated in military operations in the south of Ukraine, in particular during the liberation of the Kherson region. Among the most significant combat tasks was the capture of the strategically important "McDonalds" hill in the area of Andriivka and Blagodativka settlements, which allowed the units of the Armed Forces to conduct a successful operation on the left bank of the Inhulets river.

As part of the Belarusian Volunteer Corps, the unit carried out a number of combat operations, including a night raid in the Novaya Kakhovka area. During the operation, assault groups crossed the Dnipro river and landed on the temporarily occupied left bank, destroying a Russian base in the area.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Здаецца, у Белгарадскай вобласці пабывалі беларускія добраахвотнікі. European Radio for Belarus. 3 June 2023. be. https://web.archive.org/web/20230617121316/https://euroradio.fm/zdaecca-u-belgaradskay-voblasci-pabyvali-belaruskiya-dobraakhvotniki. 17 June 2023.
  2. Web site: ru. Как погиб доброволец Дмитрий Апанасович? Рассказывают его соратники. Наша Ніва. 27 March 2022 . 31 December 2022.
  3. Web site: ru. Доброволец Сергей Беспалов - о белорусском батальоне Кастуся Калиновского. ГОЛОС АМЕРИКИ. 20 April 2022 . 31 December 2022.
  4. Web site: pl-PL. Полк Каліноўскага фармуе трэці батальён - Беларуская Служба - polskieradio.pl. polskieradio.pl. 31 December 2022.
  5. Web site: МВД признало экстремистскими формированиями ресурсы Полка Калиновского, телеграм-каналы "Движ" и "Баста!". REFORM.by. 23 September 2022 . 24 June 2023.
  6. Web site: ru . Интерпол отказался разыскивать Светлану Тихановскую; Путин и Лукашенко утвердили союзные программы. Главное в Беларуси за неделю . BBC Росія . 3 November 2021 . 5 November 2021 . 5 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211105071302/https://www.bbc.com/russian/news-59165793 . live.
  7. Web site: Еўрарадыё Еврорадио. Telegram. 31 December 2022.
  8. Web site: Батальён Тэрор. Telegram. 31 December 2022.