Sparta Battalion

The Sparta Battalion (Russian: батальон «Спарта», romanized: batalyon "Sparta") or 80th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion "Sparta" named after A. S. Pavlov (Russian: 80-й отдельный гвардейский разведывательный батальон «Спарта» имени А. С. Павлова, romanized: 80-y otdelny gvardeysky razvedyvatelny batalyon "Sparta" imeni A. S. Pavlova; MUN 08806) is a special purpose unit of the Russian Armed Forces. Until 2023, the unit was part of Russian people's militia military unit of the Russian republic of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine. The unit has been fighting against the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donbas war and the 2022 Russian invasion. Formed in 2014, it was initially led by the Russian-born Arsen Pavlov (callsign "Motorola") until his death in October 2016, and then by Vladimir Zhoga (callsign "Vokha"), from Sloviansk, until his death in March 2022.

The battalion took part in the Battle of Ilovaisk and Second Battle of Donetsk Airport and several others. According to Foreign Policy, the Sparta Battalion has "a reputation for ruthlessness". It has committed war crimes in the Donbas. The battalion has been described as Russian ultranationalist, and the European Eye on Radicalization notes that it uses a combination of Russian imperial symbols and "symbols of the Spartan military culture, well-known drivers of the far-right".

Arsen Pavlov's Sparta unit was initially part to the 1st Slavyansk Brigade before being separated into its own reconnaissance battalion subordinate to the 1st Army Corps.

According to Ukrainian and Russian sources, the battalion was formed in August 2014 in Donetsk, based on the previously existing anti-tank/MG troop led by Pavlov which earlier reportedly participated in Battle of Ilovaisk along with Igor Strelkov's "volunteer" forces.

In 2014, the battalion took part in the Battle of Ilovaisk.

In 2015, it fought in the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport, alongside other units of the DPR People's Militia. During this battle, its fighters were filmed capturing Ukrainian soldiers (who were later paraded through Donetsk, where they were attacked by locals), and transporting the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. Pavlov made Ukrainian POWs carry the bodies of other Ukrainians because, he said, "it's not our job to recover dead bodies, it's our job to make them."

In January 2015, it participated in the Battle of Debaltseve.

In March 2016, it was in the armed skirmish in Dokuchaievsk.