Sparta Battalion

The Sparta Battalion (Russian: батальон «Спарта», romanized: batalyon "Sparta") or 80th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion "Sparta" named after A. S. Pavlov (Russian: 80-й отдельный гвардейский разведывательный батальон «Спарта» имени А. С. Павлова, romanized: 80-y otdelny gvardeysky razvedyvatelny batalyon "Sparta" imeni A. S. Pavlova; MUN 08806) is a special purpose unit of the Russian Armed Forces. Until 2023, the unit was part of Russian people's militia military unit of the Russian republic of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine. The unit has been fighting against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbas war and the 2022 Russian invasion. Formed in 2014, it was initially led by the Russian-born Arsen Pavlov (callsign "Motorola") until his death in October 2016, and then by Vladimir Zhoga (callsign "Vokha"), from Sloviansk, until his death in March 2022. The battalion took part in the Battle of Ilovaisk and Second Battle of Donetsk Airport and several others. According to Foreign Policy, the Sparta Battalion has "a reputation for ruthlessness". It has committed war crimes in the Donbas. The battalion has been described as Russian ultranationalist, and the European Eye on Radicalization notes that it uses a combination of Russian imperial symbols and "symbols of the Spartan military culture, well-known drivers of the far-right".