Kalmius Brigade

14th Separate Guards Artillery Brigade "Kalmius"
14-я отдельная гвардейская артиллерийская бригада «Кальмиус»
Service sleeve insignia of the Kalmius Brigade used since 2023
Active21 June 2014 – present
Country Donetsk People's Republic (2014–2022)
 Russia (2022–present)
BranchDonetsk People's Republic DPR People's Militia (2014–2022)
 Russian Ground Forces (2022–present)
RoleArtillery
Sizeabout 1,000 troops
Part of 51st Combined Arms Army
Garrison/HQDonetsk
Nickname(s)Miner's Battalion
Engagements
Battle honoursGuards unit Guards
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Eduard Basurin

The Kalmius Brigade or 14th Separate Guards Artillery Brigade "Kalmius" (Russian: 14-я отдельная гвардейская артиллерийская бригада «Кальмиус»; MUN 08802) is a military unit of the Russian Armed Forces. Until 2023, it was part of the Donetsk People's Republic operating within the 1st Army Corps. The unit's name comes from the river of the same name, one of the largest rivers in Donbas.

History

Sleeve insignia used in 2014

The Kalmius Battalion was established in Donetsk on June 21, 2014 as a special purpose battalion. Former miners constituted the core of the battalion, original strength being about five hundred people.[1] Major general Valentin Motuzenko was the founder of the unit.[2]

On 26–27 June, 2014 soldiers of the battalion stormed a Ukrainian National Guard base №3004 in Donetsk and captured several Ukrainian troops including the battalion commander.[3] Later in 2014 it took part in the battles around the memorial hill of Savur-Mohyla and the nearby city of Snizhne.

In October 2014, the unit was reorganised as a separate artillery brigade, and re-equipment began accordingly. Alexandr Nemogai was its commander until his death on May 8, 2016. The unit was deployed to the cities of Snizhne and Shakhtarsk.[1]

In January 2015, the Kalmius brigade participated in battles around Debaltseve. Later that year it received the honorary designation "Guards".[2]

On February 16, 2015, the Kalmius battalion was included in the sanctions list of the European Union and Canada,[4][5] and was later sanctioned by the governments of Norway and Switzerland.[6][7]

Notable among Kalmius’s officers was Eduard Basurin, who after serving in the brigade as a political commissar became Deputy Defence Minister of the DPR.

On January 1, 2023, the Kalmius brigade was incorporated into the Russian Armed Forces as the 14th Separate Artillery Brigade "Kalmius" as part of the 1st Army Corps, which was later reorganised into the 51st Combined Arms Army.

Organization

  • Howitzer artillery battalion
  • Artillery battalion
  • Rocket artillery battalion (MLRS)
  • Anti-tank battalion
  • Control and Reconnaissance Battery

References

  1. ^ a b Crowther, Edward R.; Crowther, Edward R. (2022). Armed formations of the Donetsk People's Republic, 2014-2022. War in Ukraine / Edward Crowther. Warwick: Helion & Company Limited. ISBN 978-1-915070-66-1.
  2. ^ a b "Артиллерийская бригада "Кальмиус": вооружение, состав и боевой путь" [Artillery brigade “Kalmius”: armament, composition and combat path]. amalantra.ru. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  3. ^ "Боевики захватили в/ч №3004 в Донецке, командира батальона взяли в плен - Нацгвардия" [Militants seize military unit #3004 in Donetsk, battalion commander captured - National Guard] (in Russian). 2014-06-27. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  4. ^ "COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2015/241 of 9 February 2015 amending Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine". EUR-Lex. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  5. ^ Barutciski, Milos (18 February 2015). "Canada Imposes Additional Sanctions, Including Against Rosneft". Bennet Jones Thought Network. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Forskrift om endring i forskrift om restriktive tiltak vedrørende handlinger som undergraver eller truer Ukrainas territorielle integritet, suverenitet, uavhengighet og stabilitet - Lovdata". lovdata.no. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  7. ^ "Situation en Ukraine: le Conseil fédéral complète les mesures visant à empêcher le contournement de sanctions". www.admin.ch. Retrieved 2022-07-05.