Storm-Z
| Storm-Z | |
|---|---|
| Шторм-Z | |
Russian "Z" marker that the unit is named after | |
| Active | April 6 – June 24, 2023 |
| Country | Russia |
| Branch | Russian Armed Forces |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Penal military unit |
| Size | 170,000 (claimed by Ukraine) 1,400 (reported by Russia) |
| Engagements | Russian invasion of Ukraine Wagner Group rebellion |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Yevgeny Burdinsky |
| Notable commanders | Ali (callsign) Aslan Shurdumov Vladislav "Kornet" Olensky |
Storm-Z (Russian: Шторм-Z, romanized: Shtorm-Z) is a series of penal military units established by Russia by April 6, 2023, at the latest. On June 24, 2023 Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law disbanding Storm-Z and replacing it with new Storm-V units. However, on 12 February 2024, Dmytro Riumshyn, the commander of Ukraine's 47th Mechanized Brigade, claimed that Russian forces were deploying regular troops, sabotage groups, as well as both "Storm-Z" and "Storm-V" penal units in Avdiivka.