GUNNED DOWN: Russian warlord who led Neo-Nazi 'Sparta' battalion shot dead

[Submariner]

in Ukraine in fresh blow to Putin’s stalled invasion.

Vladimir Zhoga was killed during battle in the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha on Saturday.



Denis Pushilin, who heads the breakaway Ukrainian territory of Donetsk, confirmed the kill on his Telegram channel.

"Today, the commander of the Sparta separate reconnaissance battalion, Guards Col. Vladimir Zhoga (nom de guerre Vokha), died like a hero in Volnovakha," he wrote.

According to Pushilin, the commander was killed during an operation to evacuate civilians from Volnovakha - one of cities where Russian troops violated a ceasefire agreement on Saturday.

Zhoga joined Russian-backed rebels in 2014 - the same year in which the Sparta Battalion, a Neo-Nazi militia that has the support of Moscow, was created.

The group is behind a wave of deadly attacks against Ukrainian troops and has been waging war in the Donbass region since hostilities broke out eight years ago.

Its former leader, Arsen Pavlov, known as Motorola, was accused of war crimes in Kyiv and died when he was blown up an explosive device in 2016.

Zhoga's death is another major blow for Putin after he lost two top military chiefs this week and his army fails to make territorial gains as fast as previously expected.


The Sparta Battalion is a Neo-Nazi military unit that has the Kremlin's backing

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https://www.the-sun.com/news/4833461/russian-warlord-shot-dead-in-ukraine/

It looks like Ukraine is going full Red Dawn to pick off the battlefield leaders as they destroy Putin's dream piece by piece.

[SheltieLover]

1. Putin wannabe.

Good!

[roamer65]

3. +1000

[SheltieLover]

4. Fkn pos!

[roamer65]

2. Good riddance.

[SheltieLover]

5. I'll bet he had an "aw shit" moment when his life flashed before his eyes!

Waste of oxygen eliminated.

🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

[roamer65]

11. U don't even have a chance to say it.

You just think it.

I was in an auto accident many years ago.

[SheltieLover]

12. Yup

Glad you are ok!

[roamer65]

14. ...

[CentralMass]

25. +1

[COL Mustard]

47. My new favorite Russian phrase applies to him

Idi na khui. Sit on a dick.

[Takket]

6. good!!!!!!!!!

[Irish_Dem]

7. Yes. Ukraine seems to be getting high value/high payoff targets.

A really smart move.

[Hav]

8. Russia is denazifying Ukraine with Neo-Nazis?

I also don't buy that he died trying to help/protect Ukrainian civilians when Russia's MO is breaking ceasefires intended to get civilians out. It's more likely that he was targeting civilians until someone took the trash out.

[dalton99a]

10. +1

[stopdiggin]

15. did a head swivel on that one too

Also thinking this man was definitely fighting for the other side (look where the news release came from) - either as a Russian mercenary or a black ops saboteur (perhaps both). In any event - no tears shed over the waste of space.
----- -----

[whopis01]

18. Well there is at least one less neo-nazi in Ukraine now... n/t

[Ziggysmom]

22. In what alternate universe? Does he think people are that gullible and stupid?

Who on earth could believe that the Ukrainian government is a bunch of Nazis, especially when its leader is a man of Jewish decent?

Unless Russia has its own brand of foolish magats!

[KS Toronado]

23. They do, they're called MRGAloons

[Grokenstein]

26. More than a few of moscowbots pushing the "denazification" BS on Twitter, etc

It was bound to be picked up by some of the usual tinfoil-hatted conspiro-nut dumbasses.
Honestly surprised Precious Tuckles isn't flogging it 24/7.

[Strelnikov_]

27. Who is the student and who is the pupil when it comes to Russia/GOP n/t

[calimary]

53. Un-freakin'-believable.

I can't believe how this has affected me.

He CAN'T win. Putin CANNOT be allowed to win. CANNOT.

[samsingh]

9. Good news.

[Evolve Dammit]

13. Woo hoo! Nice shot

[SoCalDavidS]

16. He Looked Like Leo DiCaprio.

May he burn down below.

[WarGamer]

20. Youre mixing up sparta and azov. Re-read what you posted

[Igel]

19. The Volnovakha "evacuation" was another one of those press-releases.

Announce it, say that Russians died trying to evacuate vulnerable Ukrainians, but that the Ukr forces caused the corridor and ceasefire to collapse.

They did that in 2015, and killed hundreds of surrended Ukrainian soldiers. They do it now.

The Sun repeated Pushilin's drivel.

[Bettie]

24. Good

take all the leaders out.

[Initech]

28. Russian Nazis? I hate Russian Nazis!

[Historic NY]

29. A good Nazi is a dead one.

[ellie]

30. Oh, what a shame

[liberalla]

31. Good News! I wish continued success to the Ukrainian fighters!

They're doing AMAZING things with their military, equipment and air defense limitations.

[BobTheSubgenius]

32. That's the only way to fight such an asymmetric war.

Fast, nimble and ruthless. Achieve a quick objective, like an assassination, sabotage or an ambush, then try to disappear.

One big drawback to that strategy is the terrain. It's about as far from the mountains of Afghanistan or the jungles of SE Asia as you can get.

The Ukranians need their own Simo Häyhä, or even several, if you could find even one. The Finnish sniper, in the defence of his homeland, killed a reported 500+ Russians, who named him The White Death. They threw everything at him but the Russian Navy, and even taking an explosive bullet to the face only took him out of action temporarily.

I bet a credible analog of Hayha would be spreading a LOT of fear in the Russian troops. Their morale is reportedly already FAR too low, given the short time the fighting has been going on.

[Straw Man]

57. Yes -- the Finns had the advantage of deep forests.

Häyhä was an avid hunter who had spent most of his life in the woods. He essentially stalked Russians in the forest, just as he had stalked animals. It's hard to do that on the flat, open plains of Ukraine.

[getagrip_already]

33. what was the patton quote?

"No poor bastard ever won a war dying for their country. You win wars by making the other poor bastards die for their country".

[Mr. Evil]

44. I don't agree with some of Patton's personal motivating beliefs but,

with regard with the Russian army and hierarchy, he was spot on. Almost prophetic.

Here's a short article about his involvement in the aftermath of WWII and what he wasn't allowed to do.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/general-patton-cold-war-russia_b_5526514

[turbinetree]

34. He even looked like he was a asshole.....

[smirkymonkey]

58. Just what I was thinking.

So glad he's gone. Go Team Ukraine!

[paleotn]

35. Putin's SS....

I'll shed not tears. Fuck him and fuck them.

[LPBBEAR]

36. Hmmmmm

apparently Putin's denazification is working.......

[Oneironaut]

37. Whomp whomp. Feed the maggots, bitch.

I hope it was painful.

[hotrod0808]

38. Rest In Piss (nt)

[SunSeeker]

39. What a wasted life. He existed just to kill people. Glad he's gone. nt

[C Moon]

40. As this war unfolds, it makes putin and trump sound identical. nt

[DENVERPOPS]

49. Does that surprise you

The Russian People have been laughing for years about how Putin was playing Trump and how Putin/Trump have nearly succeeded at bringing down the entire U.S. Economy and Democracy. And all without firing a single weapon, rocket, or missile, thanks to his underling DT.
If Putin had succeeded, along with the Republican Party, in winning the election, just think where we and the rest of the world would be right now..........Seriously, take a moment and think about it...........we all would be learning the Russian Language, and not by choice.

[The Jungle 1]

41. Wonder if Ukraine has the body?

Bury it and plant the flowers. I want Ukraine covered in flowers this spring.
Maybe let the pigs have a go at the body first. Send pictures to russia.

[WarGamer]

42. bye... good riddance and all that

[GB_RN]

43. One More Dead Nazi...

That's a good thing. What's strange is that Putin said he was going into Ukraine to get rid of the Nazis, but they're fighting FOR him. /sarcasm re: "strange"

[Cha]

45. Just think these people would

still be alive IF Vlad hadn't started an Illegal Insane War on Ukraine.

Sounds like trump here..

The Sparta Battalion is a Neo-Nazi military unit that has the Kremlin's backing

💙💛

[yonder]

46. ".....was killed during an operation to evacuate civilians from Volnovakha"

Yeah, maybe, maybe not. I’m going with not

[Justice matters.]

54. I read that as he was attacking the evacuation and was killied

by brave Ukrainians.

[yonder]

59. Yes, that sounds like what actually happened.

The "died like a hero" part sounds like he was being given credit for assisting with the evacuation of innocents. I'm thinking not.

[Marcuse]

48. Ukrainians stay. Russians go.

[prodigitalson]

50. Oh well nt

[ironflange]

51. Vladimir Zhoga: sounds like the name of a Bond villain

Good riddance to bad rubbish!

[herding cats]

52. May sunflowers grow where he died.

Let him feed the soil and the morale of Ukraine.

[Demovictory9]

55. looks like a slimmer zimmerman

[riversedge]

56. A major reason putin claims he needed to invade Ukraine was to root out Nazi!!.

But he supports this neo nazi group.

"The Sparta Battalion is a Neo-Nazi military unit that has the Kremlin's backing"

[Justice matters.]

60. The truth is always the exact opposite of the claims

Just like the former guy.