Russian Brigade Espanola Announced its Self-Dissolution

The 88th Reconnaissance and Sabotage Brigade Espanola of the Russian army has announced its self-dissolution.

The militants reported this on their own resources, stating that the unit ceases to exist “in the form in which it currently exists” and begins a ‘reboot.’

According to the brigade’s representatives, it is about ‘structural changes,’ but no specific details were given.

This unit is widely known for its participation in the battles for Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.

Russian troops have been trying to capture the town since March 2024, but according to DeepState analysts, it is still under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Earlier, Espanola took part in the battles for Klishchiivka near Bakhmut. The brigade suffered significant losses there, but continued to participate in the offensive.

The militants of this unit were also involved in the capture of Avdiivka in 2023-2024. It was during those operations that Russian troops lost a significant amount of manpower and equipment, as reported by independent ISW analysts.

The brigade’s peculiarity is its origin. The Espanola unit consists mainly of football ultras, among whom radical neo-Nazis have been identified and reported in the Cherta publication.

Its formation was accompanied by aggressive propaganda from the very beginning.

In April 2025, Espanola militants openly stated on their website that Ukrainian civilians were a ‘legitimate target’ for them.

According to them, only those who are willing to cooperate with the occupiers are considered ‘civilians.’

Such statements once again confirm that the unit fought not only against the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but also conducted terrorist activities against the civilian population.

At the same time, the current head of the formation actually denied the previous statement about its dissolution.

“Indeed, yesterday, the only official information resource of Espanola, our telegram channel, posted a message that the 88th Brigade of the 1st Volunteer Corps of the Russian Defence Ministry ceased to exist. According to the documents, it no longer exists. However, the existence of the Espanol brand, and our entire community of thousands of football fans, will not be affected by the termination of the 88th Brigade of the 1st Volunteer Corps of the Russian Defence Ministry,” Stanislav Orlov emphasized in a conversation with Ridus.

As a reminder, Ukrainian forces continue to hold the defense of Chasiv Yar, and recently reported that the 425th Separate Assault Regiment Skelya had liberated the village of Zarichne in the Donetsk region.