Patriot Group

Patriot Group is a Ukrainian non-political public organization that emerged from volunteer efforts during the first phase of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Its work has centered on people affected by the war, particularly missing military personnel, prisoners, deceased defenders, veterans, and the families of service members. The organization is not a conventional commercial brand: its public identity is associated with humanitarian coordination, negotiations, search and recovery work, civic assistance, and national-patriotic education. The organization traces its origins to July 26, 2014, in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast. During the fighting in the Donbas, Ukrainian units had suffered fatalities, disappearances, and captures. Oleg Kotenko, a Maidan activist known by the call sign “Patriot,” became involved after contacts from Cherkasy asked for help finding missing compatriots. Negotiations conducted by Kotenko and other activists helped secure the release of soldiers and formed the basis for the volunteer association that became Patriot Group. During 2014 and 2015, the group participated in negotiations and operations connected with the release of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians held in territories controlled by Russian-backed forces. The documented cases included releases near Smilyve, Donetsk, Shchastia, and other locations. The organization worked alongside Ukrainian security and defense bodies, including representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense, and the special unit Alfa. Reported releases included military personnel from the 80th Airborne Brigade, the 128th Brigade, the 93rd and 51st brigades, National Guard members, civilians, and volunteers. The group also assisted with evacuation and the search for missing or deceased people. Its activities later expanded beyond prisoner negotiations. Patriot Group has worked to locate missing military personnel, identify and recover the bodies of deceased defenders, and search for graves in temporarily occupied areas. It also provides humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian forces along the line of demarcation, supports defenders and their relatives, and promotes civic and national-patriotic education. The organization describes part of its information work as countering Russian hybrid and information aggression through the newspaper Patriot of Donbas, a video channel, and related information-center activity. Following Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, members of the organization also joined Ukraine's defense effort. The reference material identifies Andriy Shostak and Serhiy Kubrushko as members who died defending Ukraine. Patriot Group's post-2022 activities include assistance to law-enforcement agencies, cooperation on citizen security and rights protection, support for identifying people involved in Russian aggression, and basic training for civilians. Veteran and family support is another major part of the organization's role. Services described by the group include regional assistance with retraining and education, psychological support, advice concerning social guarantees, rehabilitation for released prisoners, counseling for families of people missing under special circumstances, and consultations through the organization's call center. In 2024, Patriot Group established a center for special military training. The center provides free instruction in small-unit tactics and military intelligence, assault-team methods, mine and engineering safety, firearms, drone and FPV-drone operation, navigation, equipment, and information resistance. The available material does not establish a commercial product portfolio, corporate ownership structure, public listing, or financial data for the organization.

Patriot Group developed as a volunteer response to the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. The organization dates its foundation to July 26, 2014, in Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast. At that time, battles in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts had left Ukrainian military personnel dead, missing, or in captivity. Oleg Kotenko, a Maidan activist using the call sign “Patriot,” was contacted by people from Cherkasy seeking help in finding missing compatriots. After negotiations led by Kotenko, soldiers were released. That episode became the starting point for the public organization later known as Patriot Group. The group's early profile was defined by direct humanitarian and negotiation work. In October 2014, its negotiators participated in an attempted exchange near Smilyve. Shelling delayed the operation, and the release was completed the following day near Donetsk, with participation from Alfa special-unit personnel and a representative of the Security Service of Ukraine's Unified Center for the Release of Hostages. Fourteen Ukrainian soldiers were reported released. On October 28, negotiators helped secure the release of seven soldiers from the 80th Airborne Brigade and four civilians at a checkpoint near Shchastia in Luhansk Oblast. Activists also participated in the release of seven Ukrainian hostages on November 18, 2014. The organization continued this work in 2015. On March 3, four soldiers from the 128th Brigade were released in a joint effort involving the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's prisoner-release department and Patriot Group negotiators. On April 2, Vasyl Kozak, held since March 16, was released following negotiations in territory controlled by the so-called Donetsk People's Republic; Oleg Khoroshykh, described as the head of Patriot Group's analytical department, participated. On April 4, negotiations resulted in the release of the head of a village council in Skadovsk district of Kherson Oblast and two soldiers from the 93rd and 51st brigades. On May 19, two National Guard soldiers captured at Debaltseve were released. On July 10, representatives of Patriot Group participated in the release of nine soldiers and one volunteer near Shchastia. Alongside release negotiations, Patriot Group undertook searches for missing military personnel, the recovery and identification of deceased defenders, and efforts to locate graves in temporarily occupied territories. It also assisted Ukrainian service members and their families, delivered humanitarian aid along the line of demarcation, and organized national-patriotic educational events intended to strengthen Ukrainian civic identity. The group describes information work as another area of activity, including the Patriot of Donbas newspaper, a video channel, and an information center monitoring events in Ukraine, the world, and temporarily occupied territories while addressing Russian hybrid information aggression. After the full-scale Russian invasion began on February 24, 2022, Patriot Group members joined the defense of Ukraine. The available reference identifies Andriy Shostak and Serhiy Kubrushko as members who died in the defense of the country. The organization also broadened its civic-security role by assisting law-enforcement agencies in identifying conduct that threatens public safety or Ukraine's territorial integrity, coordinating cooperation between citizens and law-enforcement bodies, supporting people whose rights were violated because of the aggression, and teaching civilians basic skills. Veteran integration became a significant continuing activity. Patriot Group provides or coordinates regional assistance with retraining and education, psychological support, social-benefit consultations, rehabilitation for released prisoners, and counseling for families of people missing under special circumstances. Its specialists also provide consultations to veterans and their relatives through a call center. In 2024, the group established a special military-training center. The center's curriculum covers small-group tactics and military intelligence, assault operations, engineering and mine training, firearms, drone and FPV-drone operation, terrain orientation, equipment, and information resistance. Training is described as free and conducted with military instructors under safety requirements. The available material does not provide audited finances, a formal ownership structure, a stock-market listing, or a clearly documented commercial product business.

• 2024

  Special military-training center established

  [1]Patriot Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Patriot Group established a center offering free instruction in military, engineering, firearms, drone, navigation, and information-resistance skills.

• 2022

  Members participate in Ukraine's defense

  [1]Patriot Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Following the full-scale invasion, members joined the defense effort; the reference identifies Andriy Shostak and Serhiy Kubrushko as fallen members.

• 2015

  Expanded release and negotiation activity

  [1]Patriot Groupen.wikipedia.org

  The organization participated in several releases involving soldiers, National Guard members, civilians, and a volunteer.

• 2014

  Volunteer association founded in Sloviansk

  [1]Patriot Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Patriot Group emerged on July 26, 2014, from efforts to locate missing Ukrainian service members and negotiate releases during the Donbas conflict.

• 2014

  Participation in early prisoner exchanges

  [1]Patriot Groupen.wikipedia.org

  Negotiators participated in releases near Smilyve, Donetsk, and Shchastia, including the release of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.

A Ukrainian volunteer and civic organization positioned around humanitarian protection, wartime search and recovery, prisoner-release assistance, veteran reintegration, public security, and resistance to Russian aggression.

• Humanitarian and recovery services · 2014

  Missing-person search and remains recovery

  Patriot Group searches for missing Ukrainian military personnel and works to locate the bodies of deceased defenders and graves in temporarily occupied territories. The activity is part of the organization's wartime humanitarian mission rather than a commercial product line.

• Negotiation and humanitarian assistance · 2014

  Prisoner and hostage-release assistance

  The organization facilitates negotiations and coordination connected with the release and exchange of Ukrainian soldiers, civilians, and volunteers held during Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

• Veteran services

  Veteran and family support

  Services include assistance with retraining and education, psychological support, social-guarantee consultations, rehabilitation for released prisoners, and advice for veterans and families of people missing under special circumstances.

• Training · 2024

  Special military training

  The training center established in 2024 provides free instruction in small-unit tactics, military intelligence, assault-team methods, engineering and mine safety, firearms, drone and FPV-drone operation, navigation, equipment, and information resistance.

• Information and civic media

  Patriot of Donbas

  Patriot of Donbas is a newspaper associated with the organization's public-information work. Together with its video channel and information center, it covers developments related to Ukraine, occupied territories, and resistance to Russian information aggression.

• 2024

  Launch of a special military-training centerStrategy

  Background

  The continuing war created demand for civilian preparedness and specialized defense skills.

  Action taken

  Patriot Group established a center offering free training in tactics, engineering and mine safety, firearms, drones, navigation, equipment, and information resistance.

  Aftermath

  The center broadened the organization's role from search, negotiation, humanitarian, and veteran work into structured military and civilian training.

  Source

1. 1Patriot Groupen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Patriot Group official websitegrupa-patriot.org.ua