| Unit Name: | Shkval Battalion |
| Native Name: | Батальйон Шквал |
| Dates: | 2024 – Present |
| Type: | Penal military unit |
| Role: | Assault troops[1] |
| Size: | Battalion |
| Colours Label: | --> |
| Battles: | Russian Invasion of Ukraine |
| Current Commander: | "Oleksandr"[2] [3] |
| Commander2 Label: | Notable Commanders |
The Shkval Battalion is a Ukrainian penal battalion that was formed in 2024 after the Verkhovna Rada passed Registered draft law No. 11079 which allowed for the mobilization of convicts into the Ukrainian Army.[4] [5]
The battalion was formed in 2024 after a bill was passed and then signed into law by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky which allowed for the mobilization of convicts into the Ukrainian Army.[6]
Like other Russian and Ukrainian penal military units, members of the battalion are recruited from prisons on the premise that successful service would result in a deduction of their sentence.[7] Members of the battalion are offered wages ranging from $500 to $4,000 per month, depending on time spent on the front line. However, they are required serve in the military until the end of the war.[8] Members of the battalion were then trained by other Ukrainian units.[9] [10] Like with other Ukrainian penal battalions, if a member of the battalion would attempt to desert or retreat without authorisation, an additional 5 to 10 years would be added to their sentence.[11] In September 2024, the battalion told reporters that they are making legal requests in order to allow more murderers of various degrees to join their ranks.[12]
The battalion first saw action during the Pokrovsk offensive.[13] A Ukrainian officer who wanted to remain anonymous for safety reasons, told CNN that the battalion had refused to fight alongside conscripts due to their low morale and lack of motivation to fight.[8] Another Ukrainian officer claimed in a post on Telegram that the battalion had been thrown into assaults with no professional military training and no coordination with the other units which resulted in heavy losses.[14] However, Ukrainian media outlets reported that the battalion fights bravely and destroys Russian forces in large numbers.[15] [16]