User:JaneAsh12/«Free Russia» Legion

«Free Russia» Legion (Легион «Свободная Россия») – Russian legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, formed in March 2022 to protect Ukraine from the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 during the Russo-Ukrainian war. It was formed of ex-servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces, as well as other Russians and Belarusians, who were not previously members of such formations..

The Legion uses a white-blue-white flag on the sleeve chevrons instead of the state blue-white-red flag of the Russian Federation.

History
«Free Russia» Legion was formed from a company of the Russian Army (over 100 people), who voluntarily joined the Ukrainian side. According to the company commander, on February 27, with the help of the Security Service of Ukraine, they joined the Ukrainian side to «protect Ukrainians from real fascists.» He also called on his compatriots, soldiers of Putin's army, to join «Free Russia» Legion, in order to save their own people and the country «from humiliation and destruction.» The first volunteers of «Free Russia» Legion began individual preliminary training in late March 2022. In particular, the personnel of the Legion under the guidance of instructors from the Ukrainian Armed Forces studied the peculiarities of the Swedish-British portable anti-tank guided short-range missile NLAW. The commanders of «Free Russia» units got acquainted with the operational situation on the frontlines.