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→Amnesty International report
In the course of a two-week research mission to the region, an Amnesty International researcher interviewed dozens of victims and witnesses of the abuses, as well as local officials, army commanders and police officers in the area and representatives of the Aidar battalion. Amnesty International's findings indicated that, while formally operating under the command of the [[Security Service of Ukraine]] ([[SBU]]) forces combined headquarters in the region, members of the Aidar battalion act with virtually no oversight or control, and local police were either unwilling or unable to address the abuses. Some of the abuses committed by members of the Aidar battalion amount to [[war crimes]], for which both the perpetrators and, possibly, the commanders would bear responsibility under national and international law.
In the course of a two-week research mission to the region, an Amnesty International researcher interviewed dozens of victims and witnesses of the abuses, as well as local officials, army commanders and police officers in the area and representatives of the Aidar battalion. Amnesty International's findings indicated that, while formally operating under the command of the [[Security Service of Ukraine]] ([[SBU]]) forces combined headquarters in the region, members of the Aidar battalion act with virtually no oversight or control, and local police were either unwilling or unable to address the abuses. Some of the abuses committed by members of the Aidar battalion amount to [[war crimes]], for which both the perpetrators and, possibly, the commanders would bear responsibility under national and international law.
Part of the region where the Aidar battalion currently operates – such as the conurbation of [[Severodonetsk]], [[Lysychansk]] and [[Rubizhne]] and the town of Shchastya - was under the control of the LPR militias from mid-May to late July 2014. The Aidar battalion played a significant role in the Ukrainian advances in July 2014, most prominently in the recapture of the town of Shchastya, 24 kilometers north of Lugansk city.
Part of the region where the Aidar battalion operated – such as the conurbation of [[Severodonetsk]], [[Lysychansk]] and [[Rubizhne]] and the town of Shchastya - was under the control of the LPR militias from mid-May to late July 2014. The Aidar battalion played a significant role in the Ukrainian advances in July 2014, most prominently in the recapture of the town of Shchastya, 24 kilometers north of Lugansk city.<ref>According to Aidar's official website: '''Battalion history'''<br><small>
'''End of April 2014''' – During the Revolution of Dignity, Andriy Parubiy, commandant of the Maidan Self-Defense, delegated Serhiy Melnychuk, a fighter of the 28th Hundred, to lead the Self-Defense of the Maidan in Luhansk region, and to unite pro-Ukrainian forces.<br>
'''On May 1st''', Parubiy gave the go-ahead to create a battalion.<br>
'''On May 3rd''', the Minister of Defense issued an order to establish Battalion No. 165. Melnychuk headed the future battalion.<br>
The fighters were hiding under the very border with Russia, but later Russian intelligence officers and drones found them there too. After the Aidar reconnaissance group spent a day watching the Russian intelligence officers opposite, the battalion, with the support of one of the leaders of the regional branch of the Communist Party, which provided the buses, relocated to Starobilsk, occupying a sausage shop in the village of Polovinkino.<br>
The workshop belonged to Deputy Landik, who from the first days helped the battalion. On the basis of the workshop, a small fortified area was built - 6 thousand sandbags, a bomb shelter, machine-gun points. Since then, regular patrols have been introduced, including in cars.<br>
May 25 is Presidential Election Day, the battalion's first operation. The task is to ensure the unimpeded expression of the will of citizens at the polling stations of Starobilsk region, near Novoaidar. In the Novoaidarovsky district, unknown persons with weapons shot polling stations, took away boxes. During the battle, 13 people were detained, had a Cossack certificate, the 14th was a father from the UOC-Moscow Patriarchate with weapons in his hands. The detainees were transferred to Kharkiv to the SBU Office. The first operation took place near the Aidar River, the battalion was named after her.<br>
'''13 — 14 June 2014.''' In a few weeks, in close cooperation with the operational command North, "Sector A", the battalion's first operation, the liberation of the city of Shchastia, was prepared. If the scouts went out daily before the operation, the day before the operation, Aidar's intelligence reported to the OK every three hours. Therefore, the operation went perfectly well - in one night the city was liberated, two bridges - through the bypass canal and through the Seversky Donets - were cleared. In the city of Shchastia there is not a single destroyed house, only in the places where the enemy is deployed on the outskirts.<br>
During the night, we made a march for 15 km, and went to the rear of the enemy, where we were able to destroy the charge control wires on the bridge. During the liberation of Shchastya, the battalion conducted an operation without losses, only four soldiers were wounded.<br>
'''During the ATO, Aidar participated in more than 12 combat operations.''' The battalion established itself as attack aircraft, and therefore became the 24th separate assault battalion. It has never been the case that the order of the high command of the battalion was not fulfilled.<br>
All operations were successful, the guys joked that we were an "assault and nursery" battalion, because we had to take care of "younger", less shelled units.<br>
They took Red Yar, where they were allowed to dig in the 30th Brigade, then they freed two more of us points by night. And in the dawn of the "Aydarovites" reported that the 30th Brigade left its positions and withdrew. I had to take the same positions again, where the 12th Kyiv Territorial Defense Battalion had already left. Then the Aydar residents stood with them for the night, the people of Kyiv got used to shelling, and in the future held their positions.<br>
Where there were heavy fighting, the Aidar asked to leave the platoon near other units for moral support.<br>
By AdministratorFeb 13, 2015</small> https://archive.ph/v6Guw#selection-1641.0-1749.12</ref>
While hailed by many nationally by the [[Kyiv regime]] as a committed fighting force, the Aidar battalion has acquired locally a reputation for brutal reprisals, [[robbery]], beatings and [[extortion]]. The failure to eliminate abuses and possible war crimes by volunteer battalions risked significantly aggravating tensions in eastern Ukraine and undermining the proclaimed intentions of the new Kyiv regime authorities to strengthen and uphold the rule of law more broadly. In November 2014, Melnichuk was removed from his postition.
While hailed by many nationally by the [[Kyiv regime]] as a committed fighting force, the Aidar battalion has acquired locally a reputation for brutal reprisals, [[robbery]], beatings and [[extortion]]. The failure to eliminate abuses and possible war crimes by volunteer battalions risked significantly aggravating tensions in eastern Ukraine and undermining the proclaimed intentions of the new Kyiv regime authorities to strengthen and uphold the rule of law more broadly. In November 2014, Melnichuk was removed from his postition.