Pavel Sudoplatov Battalion
| Pavel Sudoplatov Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Russian: Батальон имени Павла Судоплатова | |
 Coat of arms of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast | |
| Active | September 2022 – Present |
| Country |  Russia |
| Allegiance | Russia |
| Type | Militia |
| Size | 600+ (claimed, January 2023)[1] |
| Part of | BARS-32 |
| Patron | Pavel Sudoplatov |
| Engagements | Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Dmytro Pogrebnyak |
| Notable commanders | Yevgeny Balitsky |
The Pavel Sudoplatov Battalion (Russian: Батальон имени Павла Судоплатова, romanized: Batal'on imeni Pavla Sudoplatova), sometimes known as BARS-32,[3] is a Russian volunteer battalion in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast of Ukraine named after Soviet intelligence officer and Melitopol native Pavel Sudoplatov.[4]
As of 2024, Dmytro Pogrebnyak is the unit commander.[5]
History
The battalion was established in September 2022[6][7] and consists of pro-Russian Ukrainians[8] and foreign volunteers.[9] It is allied with the Russian-installed authorities in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast and led by Yevgeny Balitsky,[7] whose son is also a member of the battalion.[1]
The PSB was formally registered as the State Unitary Enterprise "Volunteer Battalion named after P.A. Sudoplatov" by the Federal Taxation Service.[10] Volunteers are paid 400,000 rubles or 5,000 US dollars.[10]
On 4 July 2023, the battalion was subordinated into the BARS-32 ceasing its existence as an independent unit.[11]
On 24 January 2024 at 3:00 AM, Ukrainian sources claimed that 24 members of the battalion were killed and 4 were wounded after a Ukrainian drone strike near the village of Pokrovka.[12] On 14 August 2024, the unit was investigated by the Investigative Committee of Russia for embezzling resources in the occupied Zaporizhzhia region.[5]
On 24 January 2025, the ISW assessed that the battalion, operating as part of BARS-32, is operating in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.[13]
Foreign fighters
Foreigners who have been recruited to the PSB include nationals from Serbia,[14] Sweden,[citation needed] and Turkey.[15]
Organization
Since 2023, the battalion is attached to the 58th Guards Combined Arms Army of the Russian Armed Forces.[5]
Structure
- "Judgment Day" UAV team[12]
References
- ^ a b "Добровольцы из Сербии поступили в батальон имени Судоплатова". РИА Новости (in Russian). 13 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ^ "The volunteer battalion named after Sudoplatov thwarted an enemy attempt to occupy strongholds in Zaporizhzhia". 23 June 2023.
- ^ https://investigator.org.ua/en/investigations/264530/
- ^ "Russia 'Normalizing' Occupation Regime in Southern Ukraine (Part Two)". Jamestown.
- ^ a b c karaivan (2024-08-14). "«Battalion Named after Sudoplatov» Disrupted and Investigated - Центр журналистских расследований". Центр журналистских расследований. Archived from the original on 2024-09-15. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
- ^ "В Запорожье создали батальон в честь организатора убийства Льва Троцкого Павла Судоплатова - Газета.Ru | Новости". Газета.Ru (in Russian). 22 November 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ^ a b "Балицкий: добровольцы из Сербии поступили в батальон имени Судоплатова в Запорожской области". Газета.Ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ^ Григорьев, Дмитрий (2022-11-23). "Батальон имени Судоплатова. Запорожцы встречают ВСУ с оружием в руках". AiF (in Russian). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ^ "В батальоне Судоплатова ждут добровольцев из Европы". РИА Новости (in Russian). 17 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
- ^ a b "ГУП "Добровольческий батальон". Воюющее в Украине формирование впервые зарегистрировали в России как бизнес Русская служба". BBC News. 2023-03-09. Archived from the original on 2023-06-27.
- ^ CDS (2023-04-08). "CDS Daily brief (07.04.23) | CDS comments on key events". Центр оборонних стратегій (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-09-11.
- ^ a b "Russian 'Judgment Day' Drone Pilots Eliminated by Ukrainian Forces". Militarnyi. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
- ^ "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
- ^ "Serbian Volunteers Start Combat Training in Ukraine, President Vucic Asks Russia to Stop Recruiting Its People: Break the Rules".
- ^ "Volunteers from Turkey join Zaporozhye Region's Sudoplatov battalion". TASS. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
