Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment

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Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment
Полк Кастуся Каліноўскага
Полк Каліноўскага. Лагатып.png
FoundedMarch 2022
Country Ukraine
TypeForeign volunteer regiment
RoleTerritorial defence
Size1,000[1]
Part ofArmed Forces of Ukraine
PatronKastuś Kalinoŭski
Motto(s)"First Ukraine, then Belarus"
EngagementsRusso-Ukrainian War
Websitekalinouski.org
Commanders
Current
commander		Dzianis Prokharau[5]
Notable
commanders		Vadzim Kabanchuk (deputy commander)
Aliaksiej Skoblia † (deputy commander)

The Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment[a] (also known as simply Połk Kalinoŭskaha or the Kalinoŭski Regiment, formerly the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion) is a group of Belarusian volunteers, which was formed to defend Ukraine against the 2022 Russian invasion.[6]

As of March 2022, it was reported that more than a thousand Belarusians have applied to join the unit.[7] According to its own statements, the battalion is not incorporated into the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine in order to preserve greater autonomy.[1]

The unit is named after Konstanty Kalinowski, who led an uprising in 1863 against the Russian Empire in Belarus.[8]

History

KKB members, among them Dzyanis Urbanovich [be], pose for a picture on March 8, 2022.

The first foreign volunteer group in Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War was the Pahonia detachment, founded in 2014 during the War in Donbas.[9] The following year, the tactical group "Belarus" was formed uniting Belarusian volunteers fighting in different battalions[10] The Monument to the Belarusians who died for Ukraine in Kyiv is dedicated to the Belarusian volunteers who died during the Russian-Ukrainian War.[11]

The battalion has been featured on public posters in Kyiv to illustrate Ukrainian-Belarusian military ties.[12]

On March 9, 2022, the creation of the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion was announced.[13] The battalion is named after Kastuś Kalinoŭski,[b] a 19th-century Belarusian leader of the 1863 January Uprising against the Russian Empire.[6] It was reported that as of 5 March 2022, about 200 Belarusians had joined the battalion.[14][15] Their motto is: ‘First Ukraine, then Belarus.’ The idea that the volunteers could turn around one day and march back to liberate Minsk from the Lukashenko regime.[16]

On 13 March 2022, the deputy commander of the battalion, nicknamed "Tur" (real name Aliaksiej Skoblia), was confirmed killed in the Kyiv offensive when his unit was ambushed.[17][18] On 13 April 2022, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy posthumously awarded Skoblia the title of Hero of Ukraine "for personal courage and heroism in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, loyalty to the military oath."[19][20]

On 25 March 2022, it was reported the battalion had taken an oath and has been formally admitted to the Ukrainian military.[21] On 29 March 2022, the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion volunteers fought alongside Ukrainian soldiers to recapture Irpin.[22] On 26 March 2022, Dzmitry Apanasovich (“Terror”) was killed during fighting in Irpin.[22]

On 1 April 2022, it was reported that thousands of volunteers — many of whom were dissidents who had been arrested following the 2020-2021 Belarusian protests — had applied to be members of the battalion, but that vetting and equipping these volunteers had created a backlog that slowed down their deployment.[23]

On 16 May 2022, a company commander, identified as Pavel "Volat," was reported to have died during the war in Ukraine. The Belarusian newspaper Nasha Niva stated that Volat was the sixth Belarusian fighter killed since the start of the war.[24]

On 21 May 2022, it was announced that the battalion would become a regiment comprising two separate battalions. This was presented as "a move to the next stage of building a [Belarusian] national military unit" which "tak[es] into account the scale of the tasks facing the Belarusian soldiers".[25]

On 17 June 2022, it was announced that volunteers of the Regiment received state Ukrainian decorations "For Battle Merit" and "Ukraine Above All".[26]

On 25-26 June 2022, in Lysychansk, the commander of the Volat battalion, callsign Brest, was killed in action and several other Belarusian fighters were captured or missing.[4]

Reactions

The creation of the battalion was endorsed by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who noted that "more and more people from Belarus join to help Ukrainians defend their country".[27][28] President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, called the volunteers "crazed citizens".[17]

On March 26, Deputy Head of the GUBOPiK of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus Mikhail Bedunkevich stated that a criminal case had been instituted in Belarus against 50 people from the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Battalion for participating in an armed conflict in a foreign state.[29]

Notable members

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ukrainian: Полк імені Кастуся Калиновського, romanized: Polk imeni Kastusia Kalynovs'koho
    Belarusian: Полк імя Кастуся Каліноўскага, romanized: Połk imia Kastusia Kalinoŭskaha
  2. ^ Polish: Wincenty Konstanty Kalinowski

References

  1. ^ a b "How Belarusian Fighters in Ukraine Evolved Into Prominent Force Against Russian Invasion". VOA. Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Ва Украіне ваюе некалькі груп беларускіх добраахвотнікаў". PolskieRadio.pl. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Бойцы батальона «Волат» полка имени Калиновского защищали Северодонецк". charter97.org. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b "З-пад Лісічанска не вярнуліся шэсць беларусаў-каліноўцаў. Апошнім паведамленнем было: «На нас едзе танк. Адпрацаваў па ім»" (in Ukrainian). nashaniva.com. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Камандзір палка Каліноўскага пра бой у Бучы". Archived from the original on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  6. ^ a b Buckby, Jack (10 March 2022). "Putin Won't Like This: Belarusian Volunteers Are Fighting Against Russia in Kyiv". 19FortyFive. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  7. ^ "Ukraine says they want to dress the Belarusian military in the uniforms of the Russian Federation to participate in the war". Belsat.eu. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  8. ^ Melchior, Jillian Kay (2 May 2022). "Opinion | Meet the Belarusians Who Are Fighting Russia in Ukraine". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Участь в АТО візьме добровольчий загін білорусів "Пагоня"" (in Ukrainian). Еспресо TV. 8 July 2014. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Расея можа паўтарыць украінскі сцэнар у Беларусі". БЕЛАРУСКАЕ РАДЫЁ РАЦЫЯ (in Polish). 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 30 August 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  11. ^ Monument to Belarusians who died for Ukraine was opened in Kyiv Archived 16 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine // Belsat TV
  12. ^ "У Кіеве з'явіліся беларускія банеры" [Belarusian posters have appeared in Kyiv]. Наша Ніва / Nasha Niva. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. ^ ЕВРОРАДИО (9 March 2022). "Белорусы создали батальон имени Калиновского для обороны Киева". euroradio.fm (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Belarusians From Kastus Kalinouski Battalion Sharpening Their Skills: Video Fact". charter97.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  15. ^ Some Belarusians join the fight against Russia, archived from the original on 31 March 2022, retrieved 30 March 2022
  16. ^ Wood, Paul. "Europe's last dictator: Lukashenko's fate depends on Ukraine". www.spectator.co.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Лукашэнка адрэагаваў на ўтварэньне ва Ўкраіне беларускага батальёну імя Кастуся Каліноўскага" [Lukashenka reacted to the formation of Kastuś Kalinoŭski Belarusian battalion in Ukraine]. Радыё Свабода // Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  18. ^ "Под Киевом погиб один из основателей белорусского добровольческого движения в Украине" [One of the founders of the Belarusian volunteer movement in Ukraine died near Kyiv]. 24 Канал (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  19. ^ "Беларускага байца Аляксея Скоблю пасьмяротна ўганаравалі званьнем Героя Ўкраіны" [Belarusian fighter Aliaksiej Skoblia posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine]. Радыё Свабода (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 13 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  20. ^ "DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE №233 / 2022 About conferring the title of Hero of Ukraine". Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  21. ^ "Батальён беларускіх добраахвотнікаў імя Каліноўскага ўвайшоў у склад Узброеных сіл Украіны" [A battalion of Belarusian volunteers named after Kalinouski has joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine]. Радыё Свабода // Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  22. ^ a b "Battle For Ukraine Day 34 - Charter'97 :: News from Belarus - Belarusian News - Republic of Belarus - Minsk". 35.158.225.124. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  23. ^ Max Bearak (1 April 2022). "A Belarusian battalion fights in Ukraine 'for both countries' freedom'". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
  24. ^ Balachuk, Iryna (16 May 2022). "Company commander of the Belarusian Kastuś Kalinoŭski battalion dies". Pravda. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Батальён Каліноўскага становіцца полкам" [Kalinoŭski Battalion Becomes a Regiment]. Наша Ніва // Nasha Niva (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Байцы палку Каліноўскага атрымалі ўкраінскія дзяржаўныя ўзнагароды. Фотафакт" [Soldiers of the Kalinoŭski Regiment received Ukrainian state decorations. Photofact]. Радыё Свабода // Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 20 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  27. ^ "Svetlana Tikhanovskaya: Is the fate of Belarus tied to the fate of Ukraine?" (Podcast Interview). BBC. 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  28. ^ "This is the Kastus Kalinouski battalion – a volunteer group of Belarusians formed to defend Ukraine". Twitter. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  29. ^ "ГУБАЗіК завёў крымінальную справу супраць байцоў батальёну імя Каліноўскага". svaboda.org. 27 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 April 2022.
  30. ^ "«Міру не будзе ніколі, пакуль існуе такая грозная імперыя, як Расея». Забіты яшчэ адзін беларус". Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  31. ^ "Экс-гребец Шурмей о войне в Украине: "Каким бы не был этот путь, он закончится победой украинского и беларусского народов"" [Ex-rower Shurmei about the war in Ukraine: “Whatever this path is, it will end with the victory of the Ukrainian and Belarusian peoples”]. BY.Tribuna.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  32. ^ ""Будзе перамога і ў Беларусі; вы зьдзівіцеся, як шмат украінцаў нам дапамогуць". Экс-вясьляр Шурмей пра вайну, Украіну, Лукашэнку і Пазьняка" [“There will be a victory in Belarus as well; you will be surprised how many Ukrainians will help us." Ex-rower Shurmei about the war, Ukraine, Lukashenka and Paznyak]. Радыё Свабода // Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  33. ^ ""Верым, што пераможам Расею, а пасьля вызвалім Беларусь". У беларускую роту тэрабароны Ўкраіны запісаліся сямёра маладафронтаўцаў". svaboda.org (in Belarusian). Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.

External links

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