Donetsk, Oct 15 – DAN. DPR Interim Head Denis Pushilin has awarded Guards status to the Sparta separate reconnaissance battalion named after Arsen Pavlov.
The document published on the Republic's official website says that "with the purpose of preserving historical traditions, upbringing servicemen in the spirit of devotion to their Fatherland and loyalty to military duty, I order to award the Guards status to the Sparta separate reconnaissance battalion named after Arsen Pavlov."
The Sparta reconnaissance battalion was formed in August 2014 and took part in the defense of Slavyansk, Ilovaisk and the Battle for Donetsk Airport. On November 2016 the battalion was named after the DPR Hero, Sparta unit commander Guards Colonel (Colonel-in-chief) Arsen Pavlov who was killed by a Kiev-organized explosion in central Donetsk on October 16, 2016.
The history of Guards units goes back to the WWII and Tsarist Imperial Guard. The Guards units are elite formations granted this status for distinguishing themselves in service. *ot