The Pyatnashka International Brigade, or simply the Pyatnashka , is a military unit of the
87th Rifle Regiment of the
Russian Ground Forces. Until 1 January 2023, it was part of the self-proclaimed
Donetsk People's Republic
The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a Territorial ...
(DPR). It is attached to the
1st Donetsk Army Corps. It mainly consists of international volunteers. The brigade is led by Akhra Avidzba, an officer of
Abkhaz origin.
History
War in Donbas
The battalion was formed in the summer of 2014. It was nicknamed "The Fifteen" in reference to the unit's original strength of 15 soldiers. The battalion would take part in the multiple battles of the
War in Donbas.
It began as a unit for the
Republican Guard of the DPR, it is named after the first 15 volunteers in Donetsk, which included its leader Akhra Avidzba, a veteran of the
Abkhazian conflict. The Pyatnashka battalion defended a checkpoint in Staronavtiv street just south of the
Donetsk International Airport, where
heavy fighting was ongoing.
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
The battalion fought against the
2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive
In early June 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces occupying its territory with a long-term goal of breaching the frontlines. Efforts were made in many directions, primarily ...
. The battalion was heavily involved in the
Battle of Avdiivka In March 2024, it was reported that the battalion had accepted Chinese volunteers. The Brigade was later transferred from the
Pokrovsk axis in Donetsk Oblast to Kursk Oblast along with the
810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade
The 810th Separate Guards Order of Zhukov Naval Infantry Brigade named for the 60th Anniversary of the Soviet Union (810 ''gv. obrmp'') (; Military Unit Number 13140) is a brigade of the Russian Naval Infantry. It is based in Sevastopol with one b ...
in order to aid in defending against the
Ukrainian inclusion into Kursk.
Foreign fighters
The brigade has international volunteers of many different nationalities. The presence of British, Chinese, French, Japanese, and Serbian fighters have been confirmed over different periods of time.
On August 24, 2024, the brigade announced that they have recruited Indonesians to its ranks.
Structure
Pyatnashka has connections to
KPRF and follows a
Marxist-Leninist ideology.
Units
* "Night Wolves" drone detachment
References
{{reflist
Military units and formations established in 2014
Military of the Donetsk People's Republic
Separatist forces of the war in Donbas