Donbas Battalion

The Donbas Battalion (Ukrainian: 2-й батальйон спеціального призначення НГУ "Донбас", romanized: 2-i batalion spetsialnoho pryznachennia NHU "Donbas") is a unit of the National Guard of Ukraine under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and formerly based in Severodonetsk. It was created in 2014 as a volunteer unit (Ukrainian: Батальйон Донбас, romanized: Batalion Donbas) by Semen Semenchenko after the Russian occupation of Crimea and an anticipated invasion of continental Ukraine. The unit was formed in the spring during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine. The unit was initially formed as an independent force, but has been fully integrated into the National Guard as the 2nd Special Purpose Battalion "Donbas" in the 15th Regiment of the National Guard. The battalion was initially formed by Russian-speaking Ukrainians from the Donbas who opposed the separatist movement. It is one of the most notable volunteer battalions, recognized as a highly-effective combat unit during the war in Donbas. The battalion was known for its balaclavas to hide their identity from pro-Russian sympathizers and to create a sense of mystery and fear. The balaclavas and (occasionally) black fatigues led to the nicknames "Men in Black" or "Little Black Men", a Ukrainian analogue of the Russian "Little Green Men". Anatoliy Vynohrodskyi, a veteran of the former volunteer battalion, announced his intention to revive a volunteer battalion outside the National Guard in October 2016. The new volunteer battalion was never created, but Vynohradskyi became a leaders of the trade blockade with the Russian-occupied territories in eastern Ukraine in January 2017.