Commander of Russian Pyatnashka Unit Eliminated in Ukraine

The Ukrainian Defense Forces have eliminated the commander of the Russian Pyatnashka unit.

A native of Abkhazia (Georgia), Bigvava Batal had the call sign Balu, who fought against Ukraine in the Donetsk region for a long time.

The news of his killing was reported by Ukrainian Armed Forces officer and blogger Anatoliy Shtefan. “The commander of the assault company Pyatnashka Bigvava Batal Balu has been successfully demobilized,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.

Since Liutyi 2025, the mercenary has been included in the database of the Myrotvorets website. He was described there as a war criminal, a foreign mercenary, and an accomplice in the crimes of the Russian authorities against Ukraine and its citizens.

The Myrotvorets website emphasizes that Balu acted as part of the Russian occupation forces, participating in hostilities against the Ukrainian military and civilians.

His profile states that he served in the Russian Armed Forces as a private and commanded a platoon. At the same time, pro-Russian publics claim that Bigvava Batal served as the commander of the 9th assault company of the Pyatnashka.

Back in 2022, SSU counterintelligence officers detained members of the Pyatnashka group.