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The Russian Orthodox Army, ROA (Russian: Русская православная армия, Russkaya pravoslavnaya armiya) was a Russian separatist paramilitary group in Ukraine that has been fighting Ukrainian forces in the Donbas war. It was founded in 2014.[2] The ROA was later absorbed into the Oplot Fifth Separate Infantry Brigade.[1]
Background
The Russian Orthodox Army was one of the number of pro-Russian separatist militia units in the Donbas region described as "pro-Tsarist", "extremist" Eastern Orthodox Christian.[8][9]
Starting with the onset of insurgency in Ukraine in early 2014, many central figures in Donetsk were referred to be directly or indirectly related to Russian National Unity (RNU), most notably Pavel Gubarev, a prominent spokesman with held multiple titles (leader of the Donbas militia, governor of the Donetsk People’s Republic, its foreign affairs minister, and the founder of the New Russia Party), who besides stating ROA was organised by RNU under his control also declared himself leader of the RNE section in Donetsk.[10][11][12] Exactly when the RNE affiliates were created in Ukraine has not been possible to establish. Historian Marlène Laruelle states that while there are suspicions of former RNU-leader Barkashov being close to commander Verin, no reliable sources in Ukraine can verify that, and ROA's own Facebook page displayed no direct connection with RNE.[13]
The ROA reportedly had 4,000 members according to Russian journalists, while eyewitnesses estimated their membership to be at 500.[1]
Engagements
Notable engagements of the ROA include the June 2014 skirmishes in Mariupol and Amvrosiivka Raion.[14] The headquarters of the ROA is located in an occupied Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) building in Donetsk city.[15] Members had no special training apart from the usual conscription service in the army[16] and swore allegiance to Igor Girkin ("Strelkov"), insurgent and Minister of Defence of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic, as of January, 2017.
Religious persecution
Along with other separatist groups in the region, the ROA has been accused of "kidnapp[ing], beat[ing], and threaten[ing] Protestants, Catholics, and members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church… as well as participat[ing] in anti-Semitic acts."[5]
In late November 2014, the group gained attention after abducting prominent Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest, Sergeii Kulbaka, and Roman Catholic priest, Father Pawel Witek.[6] According to the Defence Ministry of Ukraine, the ROA was also in conflict with another pro-Russian militia, the Vostok Battalion, which accused the ROA of looting and avoiding combat.[17][18]
Aftermath
In September 2014, the ROA changed its format and joined the new Oplot Fifth Separate Infantry Brigade.[1]
^Kuzio, Taras (2015). Ukraine: Democratization, Corruption, and the New Russian Imperialism. ABC-CLIO. pp. 110–111. the Russian Orthodox Army, one of a number of separatist units fighting for the "Orthodox faith," revival of the Tsarist Empire, and the Russkii Mir. Igor Girkin (Strelkov [Shooter]), who led the Russian capture of Slovyansk in April 2014, was an example of the Russian nationalists who have sympathies to pro-Tsarist and extremist Orthodox groups in Russia. ... the Russian Imperial Movement ... has recruited thousands of volunteers to fight with the separatists. ... separatists received support from Russian neo-Nazis such as the Russian Party of National Unity who use a modified swastika as their party symbol and Dugin's Eurasianist movement. The paramilitaries of both of these ... are fighting alongside separatists.
^Laruelle, M. (2019). Russian Nationalism: Imaginaries, Doctrines, and Political Battlefields. United Kingdom: Routledge. (p. 206)
^Laruelle, M. (2019). Russian Nationalism: Imaginaries, Doctrines, and Political Battlefields. United Kingdom: Routledge. (p. 208)
^Mitrokhin, Nikolay (2015). "Infiltration, instruction, invasion: Russia's war in the Donbass"(PDF). Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society. 1 (1): 234, note 38. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2016-05-28. Retrieved 2022-03-25. In the Donbass region, the RNE organized the small but highly effective group Russkaia pravoslavnaia armiia (Russian Orthodox army), which was de facto under the control of RNE member Pavel Gubarev, by Gubarev's own account.
