Storm-Z
Шторм-Z
Russian "Z" marker that the unit is named after
ActiveApril 2023 – present
CountryRussia
BranchRussian Armed Forces
RolePenal military unit
Size170,000 (claimed by Ukraine)[1][2]
EngagementsRussian invasion of Ukraine Wagner Group rebellion
Commanders
Current
commander		Yevgeny Burdinsky[3]
Notable
commanders		Ali (callsign)[4]

Storm-Z (Russian: Шторм-Z, romanized: Shtorm-Z) is a series of penal military units established by Russia in April 2023.[5]

History

Formation

The existence of the Storm-Z units was first uncovered on April 6, 2023, when Ukrainian forces captured documents detailing their penal recruitment and formations. The Russian Ministry of Defence modeled the units after the Wagner Group's penal recruitment after their falling out with Wagner's former leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.[6] The unit's members are recruited from Russian prisons on the premise that successful service would result in a deduction of their sentence, as well as earn them $2,200 a month.[7][8] The Institute for the Study of War assessed that the Storm-Z units would be attached to Russian forces undergoing battle fatigue. They also reported that each company consisted of 100 men broken into four capture squads of 10 persons each, four fire support squads of 10 persons each, a 2 person command element, a 5 person combat engineering group, an 8 person reconnaissance group, a 3 person medevac group, and a 2 person UAV crew.[9] Each company would only receive 10 to 15 days of training before being sent into active combat, namely in urban fighting in the Battle of Bakhmut and the Battle of Avdiivka.[8] Various Russian commands and units have had Storm-Z companies attached to them, first seeing service in the 8th Guards Combined Arms Army of Russia and the 1st Army Corps, the armed forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.[5] British intelligence has stated that Russian commanders often punish soldiers who abuse drugs and alcohol by forcing them to fight in Storm-Z detachments.[10][11] According to both British intelligence and Russian military bloggers, Storm-Z have been sustaining between 40-70% losses attempting to take the city of Avdiivka.[12][13]

Ukrainian counteroffensive

Main article: 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive

Storm-Z fighters have said that their units suffer from incompetent leadership, lack of supplies, and faulty equipment. Three Storm-Z POWs told CNN of routinely malfunctioning artillery, inaccurate rocket barrages, and commanders under the influence of painkillers giving "nonsensical orders". They also said that obtaining food and water required hiking 5 km (3 mi) through a minefield.[14][15] The units also suffer from low morale and when given the chance they surrender to Ukrainian forces in high numbers. During the opening days of the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive a large contingent of penal-soldiers, as well as draftees, surrendered outside Velyka Novosilka. These prisoners confirmed reports that veteran units of the Russian army are positioned behind units consisting of penal-soldiers and draftees, acting as barrier troops to shoot any that try to retreat or surrender.[16] Shortly after, one such instance of barrier forces opening fire on retreating Russian units was captured on film by a Ukrainian drone.[17] Storm-Z units where also deployed to the Svatove–Kreminna line performing "highly attritional attacks" against Ukrainian positions with two Russian Airborne Forces divisions, the 76th and 98th Guards Airborne Divisions acting as their barrier forces.[18][19]

Wagner rebellion

Main article: Wagner Group rebellion

During the Wagner Group rebellion, several Storm-Z units pledged their loyalty to the Wagner Group and vowed to help Yevgeny Prigozhin topple the Russian military structure. However, after Prigozhin ended the rebellion and turned his convoys around shortly outside Moscow, these Storm-Z units accused him of "cowardice" and stated that he had “double-crossed them”. They went on to say that due to their support for Wagner, their commanders have begun issuing punishments to disloyal units.[20][21] The Storm-Z units are overseen by the Head of the General Staff’s Main Organizational and Mobilization Directorate Colonel General Yevgeni Burdinskiy who has been heavily criticized by Russian nationalists for his inability to account for all the Storm-Z units.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Farberov, Social Links forSnejana (3 October 2022). "Drunk, unruly Russian troops sent to die on front lines in punishment squads: report". New York Post. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Russia coup latest: Cracks in Putin's power revealed by Wagner mutiny, US says". Telegraph. 26 June 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Stepanenko, Kateryna; Mappes, Grace; Wolkov, Nicole; Barros, George; Kagan, Frederick W. (26 June 2023). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 26, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Командир подразделения "Шторм Z": ВСУ попытались прорвать оборону РФ в Запорожской области". Российская газета. 11 June 2023.
  5. ^ a b Lewis, Kaitlin (7 April 2023). "Ukrainian reserve officer says Russia is forming special "Storm Z" units". Newsweek.
  6. ^ "Russia forms Storm Z 'prisoner' unit to compete with Wagner, says military expert". The New Voice of Ukraine. Yahoo! News. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  7. ^ Surmonte, Connor (10 April 2023). "Vladimir Putin Forms New 'Storm Z' Military Units Made Up Of Russian Prisoners To Carry Out 'Complex Combat Missions' In Ukraine". Radar Online. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Russian commanders constructing company-size units for urban combat - ISW Russian commanders constructing company-size units for urban combat". Ukrinform. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  9. ^ Hird, Karolina; Bailey, Riley; Howard, Angela; Mappes, Grace; Philipson, Layne; Clark, Mason. "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 6, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  10. ^ Musumeci, Natalie (13 November 2023). "Drug-abusing Russian soldiers get sent to fight with Storm Z assault forces as punishment, intel says, putting them on the front lines with convicts". Business Insider. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  11. ^ Farberov, Social Links forSnejana (3 October 2022). "Drunk, unruly Russian troops sent to die on front lines in punishment squads: report". New York Post. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  12. ^ Musumeci, Natalie (13 November 2023). "Drug-abusing Russian soldiers get sent to fight with Storm Z assault forces as punishment, intel says, putting them on the front lines with convicts". Business Insider. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Russia throws vulnerable Storm-Z infantry into frontal infantry attacks near Avdiivka – ISW". Ukrainska Pravda. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  14. ^ Gak, Sarah (6 July 2023). "Captured Russian soldiers tell of low morale, disarray and horrors of trench warfare". CNN. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  15. ^ Brugen, Isabel van (5 July 2023). "Russian convict fighters share complaints on video: "We're not meat"". Newsweek. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  16. ^ Walker, Marcus (18 June 2023). "'I'm beginning to understand that we're not on the right side.' WSJ spoke to Russian fighters who surrendered in Ukraine". Meduza. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  17. ^ Mappes, Grace; Stepanenko, Kateryna; Wolkov, Nicole; Clark, Mason (18 June 2023). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 18, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  18. ^ Bailey, Riley; Hird, Karolina; Wolkov, Nicole; Evans, Angelica; Clark, Mason (20 June 2023). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, June 20, 2023". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Russians trying to attack Kupyansk direction with 'Storm-Z' groups". Ukrinform. 19 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
  20. ^ Browning, Oliver (26 June 2023). "Russia's Storm Z unit label Wagner leader a 'rat' after calling off mutiny". The Independent. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
  21. ^ Freeman, Colin (25 June 2023). "Watch: Russian convict soldiers accuse Wagner boss of 'cowardice' for halting mutiny". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
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