Fighters from the Donbas volunteer battalion, one of the main Ukrainian forces in Ilovaisk, entered the city on Aug. 18, after several unsuccessful attempts. They dug in at local school No. 14 and held this position until Aug. 29, despite frequent shelling, separatist attacks, and losses of comrades.
One of first Ukraine’s volunteer battalions, which included many residents of Donetsk Oblast, the Donbas Battalion took especially heavy losses in Ilovaisk. According to the Memory Book, a citizen volunteer project that collects information about fallen Ukrainian soldiers, at least 51 soldiers of the Donbas Battalion were killed in the Battle of Ilovaisk.
