Worth noting that back in 2014 most of the unit fled to join Russia besides around 60 Soldiers who stayed loyal to Ukraine. They’ve been rebuilt with new recruits and experienced officers.

by Accomplished_Web8122

14 comments
  1. For surviving defenders of Mariupol being part of the invasion force into Russia… my god that must feel surreal.

  2. Its called the 501st Separate Naval Infatry Batallion, 36th Marine Brigade based in Berdyansk, Zaporizhia (until the Russian ocupation. The unit has a tragic history has slightly mentioned, the 36th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, 1st Marine Corps and the 501st where responsible for defending Crimea, after being surrounded by 30,000 Russian troops in 2014, these units would be disbanded but reconstituted as the 36th Marine Brigade with the 501st retaining its high degree of autonomy, which would come to bite them. During the Russian invasion of 2022, the unit was sent from Donetsk to Mariupol where they took part of the defense there, as it happens, the 36th Brigade sent a runner to get a status report from the 501st which was defending the Illich industrial works, the runner found the positions empty and ammunition, food and all sorts of supplies as if people simply abandoned it. As it happens, the 501st commanders and junior officers where where receiving large sums of money from Russia and they where collaborating, they deceived the 277 Ukrainian soldiers to surrender telling them they where being evacuated thru an humanitarian corridor. As a consequence of these, the defense of Mariupol got compromised, the remaining units where forced to shift from using a typical line defense to use stronghold points, these obviously weakened the defense of Mariupol greatly and acelerated the Russian siege.

  3. This post is misleading and relys on people to not read the article and instead to take the post word for itself and think that some bug bad battalion is about to march in and be suoerheroes.

    What the article says summarized.

    They joined the fight. The are notorious for not fighting in the past. When crimea was invaded most of the units sided with the russians and stayed.

    After that they were rebuilt and were in the fighting in Mariupol. Here too, they surrendered without authority en mass and WERE NOT part of the heroes who made the last stand at the Steel plant.
    240 or so still remain as POW in Russia as of now.

    The unit has once again been rebuilt and is basically just comprised of people they could find from different branches etc to condesne to create a once again “effective” brigade.

    I am not a russian bot or something I am 100% on Ukrainian side but I can even say I KNOW you relied on noone reading the article as your post text body says the thinng about them abandoning in Crimea but insinuating that since then the loyal soldiers stayed and greated some A team that is ready to prove itself. While igboring the fact they did already get the chance and all surrendered en masse and once again had to be rebuilt.

    IMO this post should be removed.

  4. Your bravery is admired in the USA. We are rooting for you. Slava Ukraine! 🇺🇦🇺🇸👊🏻

  5. I don’t know anything about them but if a battalion has “501st” in it then it’s good.

  6. >501st marine battalion

    More like: five-o-first (insert star wars music marching on Jedi temple)

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