Ukrainian soldiers prepare to fire artillery in Donbass (Photo: AFP).
Sputnik reported that Viktor Kirichansky, a member of the Bogdan Khmelnitsky battalion, confirmed that the unit had sent the first group of troops to the front line.
Earlier, RIA news agency said that Moscow had established the first volunteer battalion consisting of former Ukrainian soldiers named Bogdan Khmelnitsky and would become part of the Cascade tactical combat force.
The battalion members are already undergoing training. "The first group has been sent to combat duty. We will soon depart and join them on the battlefield," said soldier Viktor Kirichansky.
He said the morale of the battalion was positive. "Everyone has made their choice," he said.
Asked about his concerns about fighting, Kirichansky replied: "It can be a bit scary to go into battle for the first time, but I think everything will be fine. We will clean up Donbass."
"We are gradually replenishing the arsenal. The machine gunners have undergone tactical medical training in real combat situations to prepare for stressful situations. Basically, everyone is fine," he stressed.
Kirichansky said that during his service in the Ukrainian army, he did not have the opportunity to participate in many training activities. "During the 9 months of service, I only had the opportunity to practice at the shooting range 3 times," he said.
The first information about the formation of the battalion appeared in February this year. Accordingly, Ukrainian servicemen who voluntarily laid down their arms and sided with the Russian army joined the unit.
Most of them are Donbass natives, mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine earlier.
All of them passed the background check and signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense , receiving Russian citizenship. According to RIA, this is a battalion that Ukrainian soldiers volunteered to join.
In October, Russia deployed the battalion to a special training area. According to the battalion commander, all soldiers were fully armed and ready for combat.
On November 22, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the Ukrainian army, faced with a strong Russian defense system, had lost its fighting spirit, causing many of them to choose surrender rather than continue fighting.
Sputnik quoted the Russian Defense Minister as saying that Ukrainian forces have suffered significant losses in the past month of fighting. "In total, since the beginning of the month, the enemy has lost more than 13,700 people, about 1,800 units of various weapons and military equipment," Shoigu said.
Last month, Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR), confirmed that the country's armed forces had recently formed a unit consisting entirely of Russian citizens who had come to Ukraine to volunteer to join the Kiev army.
The unit, called the "Siberian Battalion", is described as consisting of Russians opposed to Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine. It is the first group of ethnic Russians to become an official part of the Ukrainian army.
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