Sparta Battalion : war in Donbass

On January 2015, self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) forces occupied Donetsk International Airport. Sparta Battalion, played a key role in the battle, gaining full control of the main terminal, a key frontline position next to the separatist capital. On the frontline the entire battalion is gathered in the shelter, which is surrounded by the remains of what used to be an airport. It was brand new in 2012; a modern building made of glass and iron. Today broken cables dangle from the girders of this ruin. But, inside, soldiers warm up near a fireplace, reading books or exercising to stay in shape. When the war began, no military structure existed in the Republic. Battalions such as Sparta were defending the self-proclaimed state, and have since been incorporated into the regular DPR army. Now the squads are attached to the Ministry of Defense, they receive all sorts of supplies on a regular basis to make life a little more bearable: old rusty bullets, chocolate, cigarettes and food. Conviviality is a kind of survival mechanism on the frontline. A squad spend usually eight hours on a position, and though they rarely meet all together because of the patrols, they create a strong brotherhood amid the chaos mingling duty and friendship. “We are all like brothers,” confides one Sparta soldier, “we would kill for each other.”

Soldier poses for a portrait at a position inside the airport's parking lot.

Soldier holds his AK-47 rifle.

Soldiers getting ready for a contact line patrol.

A soldier take a break from fighting. The battalion keeps a few cats and dogs around for mine search.

At the main position inside the airport, soldiers keep an exemplar of Spartacus, a novel by Italian writer Raffaello Giovagnoli. The book tells the story of a commander guiding an army of slaves fighting for freedom from the Roman Empire.

Soldier's ratio.

Soldier among wreckage at the boarding hall of the Airport.

Coal factory in Avdiivka, seen from DPR position in the airport strip.
Avdiivka is a major Ukrainian stronghold, mainly due its strategic position and economical relevance. Just about a kilometer away from Ukrainian position, in the area around the airport, fight never ceased.

Just a few hundred meters southwest of the Airport, Iverskaya cemetery is located in an area controlled by rebels. Still a heavily mined place, graveyards and the Monastery nearby are badly damaged.

Iversky Monastery main door, damaged by shelling. The monastery sits about 500 m from the Airport frontline.

Arseny Pavlov's grave in the outskirts of Donetsk. Known by his nom de guerre 'Motorola', the mythical leader of Sparta Battalion was assassinated inside his apartment in 2016, under murky circumstances.

The battalion's flag sitting on top of the new terminal at Donetsk Airport.

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