The 518th Separate Special Purpose Battalion of the 1st Special Purpose Brigade Ivan Bohun, aka Bohun Brigade was known as Dyke Pole Battalion (DPB). It was established by a Russophone Cossack leader Major Andriy Malakhov on 1st June 2022.
This Dyke Pole Battalion is different from the Dyke Pole C2 or Dyke Pole Satanist group.
DPB as well as its superset Bohun Brigade consists of the Ukrainian Cossack population which is both used by Ukraine for its defense against Russia as well suspected of espionage for Russia.
The group iconizes the medieval Cossack Hetman Ivan Bohun.
The Cossacks are Russian speakers and have been the majority among the Ukrainian resistance fighters against Donbass separatists.
DPB exploited the emotion, ideology and often the opportunism of the Russophobic Russian speakers in Ukraine.
The Battalion had fought several battles in Donbass region. However by 2023 end, Major Malakhov was upset with the higher command over war strategy and lack of credits given to the group.
Reportedly he had requested multiple times the Hero of Ukraine award for himself and some of his soldiers, which were repeatedly rejected. He had also started criticizing President Zelenskiy and military chief Zaluzhniy.
Fed up with his demands the high command decided to fix him and slapped stringent espionage charges on him. Since February 2024 he has been placed in Kharkiv detention center without an option for bail.
The organization was thereafter disbanded and members of the battalion were distributed among other units of the Bohun Brigade.
