Russian «governors» have organized so-called «voluntary units» on the occupied territories of the South of Ukraine, in order to involve local residents into the war against their co-citizens. As a rule, militants hide their faces and identities by balaclavas. As Russian occupants are going to conduct «elections» in autumn 2023, their politicians visit wounded militants, publish their photos and disclose their names.
Russian «senator» from Kherson region Konstantin Basuk published photos with wounded members of the «battalion named after Margelov». Together with Anastasia Tsyplakova, the head of the local office of Russian «Foundation of Defenders of Motherland», Basuk visited militants in the military hospital of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in Sevastopol.
The Center for Journalist Investigations identified several militants of «the Margelov’s battalion».
«I visited militants of voluntary battalion named after V.F.Margelov. Militants undergo medical treatment and rehabilitation in the military hospital of Sevastopol after fighting in Kherson region. Guys have good mood and willingness to come back to the front line», as wrote Basuk in his telegram channel. He published photos of militants and helped us to find out their identities.
So-called «voluntary battalion named after Margelov» has been created upon initiative of occupation «governor» Volodymyr Saldo in occupied Kherson in October 2022. It seems that organization of «voluntary battalions» was launched from Moscow authorities, with the aim to involve local population into the war against their own country and confirm Kremlin narratives about «civic conflict» in Ukraine. These battalions were created on all occupied territories of the Ukrainian South and Crimea.
«Senator» Konstantin Basuk with Russian wounded militants in Sevastopol. Photo: social media
In Crimea, so-called assault Cossack battalion «Tavrida» has been formed by Russian «Crimean head» Aksyonov. It is managed by his colleague Anton Syrotkin. Another unit is called battalion «Livadia» (BARS-30). Assault unit «Convoy», headed by Prigozhyn’s colleague Pikalov, has been part of this battalion. «Battalion named after Sudoplatov» has been set up on the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia region. It is «supervised» by Russian «governor» Balytsky.
As our investigation demonstrates, there are a few residents of Crimea and the Ukrainian South in these battalions. The majority of militants come from various Russian regionas as well as from occupied territories of Moldova and Georgia. The majority of wounded militants on Basuk’s photos also came from Russia.
Let us name those militants who would like to come back to the front and kill Ukrainians.
Vadim Groshev, militant of «Margelov’s battalion». Photo: social media
Russian citizen Vadim Anatolyevich Groshev (data of birth – 26.02.1973), resident of the Russian city of Furmanov in Ivanove region, stands to the extreme left. His Russian taxpayer’s code 372900348686, accounts in Russian social media: Вконтакте, Одноклассники, phone number +79303409917.
Before 2015 he has been registered as an individual entrepreneur, with «taxi services» as business profile.
Groshev is the former Russian paratrooper. He participated in the second Russian-Chechen war. One of his photo in social media was taken at the entrance to Chechen village of Shatoi. It seems he participated in the assault of the village in February 2000 when Russian troops attacked the village for almost one week.
He is mentioned in book «Razvedbat» of Valerii Kiselyov. He is presented in the book as senior radio intelligence person, who served in the 1st platoon of the 84th separate intelligence battalion of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Armed Forces of Russia. He was submitted for Russian military award «Order of Courage». Website of his secondary school reports that he received three military awards «Order of Glory».
Aleksandr Motorikin in the hospital. Photo: telegram channels of Konstantin Basuk and Aleksandr Motorikin, and Russian social media «Однокласснікі»
Another photo demonstrates Russian citizen Aleksandr Viktorovich Motorikin, 33 years old (he is sitting on a bed behind Basuk). He is the resident of the Russian city of Belgorod, graduate of local university of cooperation, economics and law.
In 2011, Motorikin has been registered by the Russian taxation authorities as an individual entrepreneur (Russian taxpayer’s code 312329992702), with «regular passenger transportation» as business profile. In August 2022, Motorikin closed his business. In accordance with the Russian State Register of Legal Entities, Motorikin has been the director and owner of construction LLC «STK Master»
His personal data: date of birth 04.09.1989. Address: Belgorod, Gubkina street, 25, apt. 182, phone +79511417111, Motorikin’s accounts in social media: ВКонтакте, Однокласснікі, Facebook, Telegram.
Oleksandr Turev, militant. Photo: social media
The only Ukrainian citizen that we identified is Oleksandr Viktorovych Turev, born in Pustoviitove village of Poltava region.
We do not know how Turev has been enlisted into the Russian «voluntary battalion» in Kherson region. We found his relatives in Pustoviitove village but did not contact them as they do not bear responsibility for crimes of Oleksandr Turev. We publish his personal and contact data for the Ukrainian law enforcement bodies:
Address: Sergii Vykhrystuk street, 19, Pustoviitove village, Globynsky raion, Poltavska oblast; taxpayer’s code 3345808039, phones: +380965196250, +380506892054. Turev’s accounts in social media: Telegram, ВКонтакте, Однокласнікі
