Meet Black Winter Group: The Warriors Changing the Course of the War

Black Winter Group is a unit within the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) “Tymur Special Unit”, made up entirely of volunteers who left their civilian professions to defend their homeland. Our foundation’s volunteer team supports these brave fighters, and today we want to introduce them more closely.

The origins of Black Winter Group

Black Winter Group began forming back in 2014. When Russia launched its aggression against Ukraine in Crimea and Donbas, the unit’s commander (callsign “Liutyi”) was among the first underground groups fighting occupiers and collaborators. They gathered information about enemy movements, disrupted pro‑Russian scenarios, and hunted war criminals. “Liutyi” describes the so‑called “Russian world” as a virus.

“Yesterday’s alcoholics, drug addicts, or people recruited by Russian special services were seizing police stations and government buildings. I realized we had to take matters into our own hands and build a community of like‑minded people who would resist,” Liutyi recalls.

Betrayal, torture, and an unbreakable spirit

One operation ended in a deadly trap. A traitor among their comrades exposed Liutyi’s group, their vehicle was shot at, and the survivors were thrown into a basement.

Liutyi says that at the time, no laws worked in Donbas, and captured Ukrainians had no official status for the occupiers. Every day, pro‑Russian forces tortured them and staged mock executions.

“They fired — and I didn’t know whether I was already dead or still alive. But I felt I had made the right choice. If they kill me, I did everything I could to eliminate war criminals,” Liutyi says.

He still can’t believe he survived. Someone who supported pro‑Ukrainian forces in Donbas rescued him from that place.

That experience became a lesson in faith in Ukraine, and he realized there was only one path: to keep going and build a unit ready to fight the occupiers for as long as needed. That is the experience that hardened his spirit and led to the creation of Black Winter Group.

A unit that changed the course of the war

Until recently, Black Winter Group was a classified unit operating in the shadows, carrying out crucial tasks on the front line and behind enemy lines. The DIU “Tymur Special Unit” is known worldwide for its operations — on land, at sea, and in the air. From battles for Snake Island to raids in Crimea and the return of the “Boyko towers” — they are ready to act for Ukraine anywhere.

Ideology and motivation

The ideology of Black Winter Group is rooted in brotherhood, dedication, and patriotism. For these warriors, the fight for Ukraine is more than service — it is a conscious choice made voluntarily. Fighters go through a special initiation ceremony where they carry a torch to a common fire as a symbol of leaving civilian life and stepping onto the warrior’s path.

“Each of us has had something dear taken by the occupiers: children, parents, loved ones, friends, or home… That’s why we took up arms and vowed we would not forgive even that distant winter when they occupied Crimea and seized our native Donetsk. Now ‘Black Winter’ will come for them and avenge every tear of a Ukrainian mother,” the fighters share.

An honor to be part of this path

We are proud to be part of this journey and to be useful to our warriors. We thank every fighter for courage and for not letting Ukraine give up even in the hardest moments of this war.