Somalia Battalion

Separate Guards Assault Battalion "Somalia" named after M. S. Tolstykh (OSB Somalia, MUN 08828; Отдельный гвардейский штурмовой батальон «Сомали» имени М. С. Толстых, ОШБ Сомали, в/ч 08828), often known as Somalia Battalion, is a military unit of Russian Ground Forces. Until January 1, 2023 it was part of so called self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR). In September 2022, with a decree of Vladimir Putin, Russia unilaterally "annexed" occupied areas of Ukraine, and after that, military units of DPR and LPR were officially incorporated in Russian Armed Forces.

The unit is permanently stationed in Donetsk and Makiivka. Its current commander is Timur Kurilkin.

History


The Somalia Battalion was formed in 2014 and participated in the Donbas war. The origin of its name is unconfirmed, it could be due to the fact that when its members lined up for the first time, they were dressed in motley clothing and thus looked not like a combat force, but Somali pirates. Or it could be from Givi's claim; "they are as fearless as Somali pirates".

It was originally a special task force under the Ministry of Defense of the Donetsk People's Republic, a self-proclaimed breakaway state in eastern Ukraine. In 2015 the breakaway states Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk Peoples Republic, and all their military units, were designated as terrorist organisations by the Supreme Court of Ukraine.

In February 2017, the unit's commander, Mikhail Tolstykh ('Givi'), was assassinated in his office with a RPO-A Shmel rocket launcher. It is alleged he was killed by his own side because he knew who shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, or that he was killed by Ukrainian forces.

The battalion took part in the Siege of Mariupol alongside Russian forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2022, while being decorated by the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, Senior Lieutenant of the Somalia Battalion Roman Vorobyov was shown wearing a Totenkopf an old German army symbol and a valknut symbol on his arm patch; both symbols are associated with Nazi Germany. The battalion participated in the Battle of Avdiivka.

Equipment
The battalion has T-64 and T-72 tanks, BMP-1, BTR-70, MT-LB and BRDM-2 armoured fighting vehicles as well as supporting artillery, mortars and transport vehicles.