The Pahonia Regiment, be, Беларускі полк «Пагоня», translit=Biełaruski połk "Pahonia". is a group of

Belarusian opposition The Belarusian opposition consists of groups and individuals in Belarus seeking to challenge, from 1988 to 1991, the authorities of Soviet Belarus, and since 1995, the leader of the country Alexander Lukashenko, whom supporters of the movement of ...

volunteers, which was formed to defend

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

against the

2022 Russian invasion On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

History

On March 30, 2022, political activist Vadzim Prakopieu announced the beginning of the formation of the Belarusian Pahonia Regiment as part of the

International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine The International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine, uk, Інтернаціональний легіон територіальної оборони України, Internatsionalnyi lehion terytorialnoi oborony Ukrainy or the Ukrainian Fo ...

.Белорусы начали создавать полк «Погоня» в составе Вооруженных сил Украины
/ref> On March 31, 2022, Belarusian opposition leader

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Sviatlana Heorhiyeuna Tsikhanouskaya (' Pilipchuk;, , ; russian: Светлана Георгиевна Тихановская, , Svetlana Georgiyevna Tikhanovskaya, , , born 11 September 1982) is a Belarusian educator and the leader of the Bel ...

announced the unit's formation via social media. The regiment was created on the initiative of Belarusian officers, many of whom had served already in the ''Pahonia detachment'' during the

War in Donbas (2014–2022) The War in Donbas, russian: Война на Донбассе was an armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine, part of the broader Russo-Ukrainian War. In March 2014, immediately following the Euromaidan protest movement and subseque ...

. Its recruiting center is located in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

. In June 2022, it became known that the first group of fighters of the Pahonia Regiment signed contracts with the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine. In the same month, "Pahonia" became known as "special purpose regiment". The regiment's fighters are trained by American Matthew Parker, one of the instructors of the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine. On September 14, 2022, Vadzim Prakopieu, one of the founders of the regiment and assistant commander, left the regiment. In October 25, 2022, it became known that the air reconnaissance team of the Pursuit Regiment had transferred to the

Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment The Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment be, Полк імя Кастуся Каліноўскага, translit=Połk imia Kastusia Kalinoŭskaha (also known as simply Połk Kalinoŭskaha or the Kalinoŭski Regiment, formerly the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Bat ...

, another unit of Belarusian volunteers fighting for Ukraine. On October 28, 2022, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus recognized the Pahonia Regiment as an "extremist formation". They are among the list of 625 persons to be deemed as extremists. In November 2022, fighters of the Pahonia Regiment, together with Belarusians permanently living in Ukraine, founded the public association "Pahonia". Kickboxer

Vitaly Gurkov Vitaly Hurkou ( be, Вiталь Рыгоравiч Гуркоў; born March 27, 1985), is a Belarusian Kickboxing weight classes, welterweight Muay Thai kickboxer fighting out of Minsk for Patriot Gym. He is a seven time Amateur sports, amateur Mu ...

became its director. In November 2022, the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

adopted a resolution expressing its support for the Pahonia Regiment.

Losses

On September 26, 2022, in the

Battle of Bakhmut The Battle of Bakhmut is an ongoing series of military engagements in and near the city of Bakhmut between Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russian Armed Forces during the larger battle for Donbas. Shelling of Bakhmut began in May 2022, but the ...

in the

Donetsk region The Donetsk Oblast ( ukr, Донецька область, Donetska oblast, ), also referred to as Donechchyna ( ukr, Донеччина, links=no), is an oblast of eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 mill ...

, Alyaksei Veshchavaylau, a fighter of the Pahonia Regiment was killed.

Notes

References

External links

Official Telegram channel of the Pahonia Regiment

Official Facebook page of the Pahonia Regiment
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pahonia Regiment Regiments of the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine Pro-Ukraine foreign volunteer units in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2022 Military units and formations of Ukraine in the war in Donbas Territorial defence battalions of Ukraine Resistance during the Russian invasion of Ukraine Belarus in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Belarus–Ukraine relations Military units and formations of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Belarusian armies in exile