Odessa Brigade

Odessa Brigade
Отдельная бригада особого назначения «Одесса»
Leaders
  • Anton Rayevsky (2014)
  • Alexei "Foma" Fominov (2014–2015)
Dates of operationc. March/May 2014 – January 2015
CountryUkraine
Allegiance Luhansk People's Republic
Part ofRussian people's militias in Ukraine
Battles and warsWar in Donbas (2014–2022)

The Odessa Brigade, or officially the Separate Brigade of Special Purpose "Odessa" or OBrON "Odessa",[1] was a pro-Russian militia in the war in Donbas. It originated as a militant anti-Maidan group which emerged in the Ukrainian city of Odesa in 2014. It emerged within the pro-Russian "Odesskaya Druzhina" movement which was involved in the 2014 Odesa clashes. Following this event, members of "Odesskaya Druzhina" (and others from Odesa and Russia) reorganized themselves into a separatist militia in the Donbas, fighting on behalf of the Luhansk People's Republic in the war in Donbas. The unit was disbanded in January 2015, probably as a result of inter-separatist power struggles.

  1. ^ "Командир ОБрОН «Одесса», сдавшись боевикам «ЛНР», оправдывается и винит во всем Украину (видео)" [The commander of the Obron "Odesa", surrendering to the militants of the "LPR", justifies himself and blames Ukraine for everything (video)]. informator.media (in Russian). 10 January 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2022.