34th Assault Battalion "Mad Pack"
| 34th Assault Battalion "Mad Pack" | |
|---|---|
| 34-й штурмовий батальйон «Шалена зграя» 34-y shturmovyy batalʹyon «Shalena z·hraya» | |
 Official patch of the 34th Assault Battalion | |
| Active | 2014 – present |
| Countries |  Ukraine Chechnya |
| Allegiance | Ukraine Chechen Republic of Ichkeria |
| Branch |  Armed Forces of Ukraine |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Assault Battalion |
| Part of | .png){kind=small} 57th Motorized Brigade |
| Engagements | Donbass War Russo-Ukrainian war |
| Website | ichkeria.net |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Kazbek "Dzurdzuk" Lechaevich Abdurzakov |
The 34th Assault Battalion “Mad Pack” or “Crazy Pack” (Ukrainian: 34-й штурмовий батальйон «Шалена зграя», romanized: 34-y shturmovyy batalʹyon «Shalena z·hraya» Russian: 34-й штурмовой батальон «Безумная стая», romanized: 34-y shturmovoy batal'on «Bezumnaya staya»), is a volunteer assault unit within the Armed Forces of Ukraine composed primarily of ethnic Chechen volunteers fighting as part of the broader Chechen volunteers on the side of Ukraine during both the War in Donbas and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
History
Formation
The 34th Assault Battalion was founded in 2014 during the War in Donbas.[1][2] The unit currently falls under the overall command of the 57th Motorized Brigade.[1][2] According to the unit's official website, a minority of the battalion also consists of Ukrainian and Azerbaijani personnel.[2] The unit has close ties to the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion and the Sheikh Mansur Battalion which are also composed of Chechen volunteers.[3]
Namesake
The 34th Assault Battalion was nicknamed "mad pack" or "crazy pack" (Ukrainian: Шалена зграя) by soldiers serving in the battalion due to their willingness to take part in high risk operations and unconventional warfare.[2]
Commanders
- Kazbek Lechaevich Abdurzakov (nom de guerre "Dzurdzuk") - battalion commander.[2][4] Abdurzakov was born in Grozny and graduated from the Grozny State Oil Technical University.[2] Abdurzakov fought in the Second Chechen War, following the war he moved to Khmelnytskyi where he worked as a coal trader.[2] Abdurzakov originally served in the Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion before creating the 34th Assault Battalion in 2014.[2] Abdurzakov was awarded the People's Hero of Ukraine award on January 15, 2016.[5]
See also
References
- 1 2 Глушко, Денис (June 7, 2023). "Chechen Republic of Ichkeria's Head of Government in Exile Akhmed Zakayev Visits Kharkiv". gwaramedia.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "34th Assault Battalion "Crazy Pack"". Ichkeria Digital Archive (in Italian). 2025-04-19. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
- ↑ Derkach, Anvar (May 17, 2022). "Реванш за депортацию и чеченские войны? Почему уроженцы Чечни едут биться на стороне Украины" [Revenge for deportation and the Chechen wars? Why are Chechens coming to fight for Ukraine?]. svoboda.org (in Russian). Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Абдурзаков Казбек Лечаевич" [Abdurzakov Kazbek Lechaevich]. tribynal.ru (in Russian). September 19, 2024. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Народным Героем Украины стал чеченец с российским гражданством" [A Chechen with Russian citizenship has been named a People's Hero of Ukraine.]. islam.in.ua (in Ukrainian). January 18, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
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- Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
- 2014 in Ukraine
- Wars involving Chechnya
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- Military units and formations established in 2014
- 2014 establishments in Ukraine
- Chechen armies in exile