Russian People's Liberation Army
The Russian Liberation People's Army, also known as the Kaminski Brigade or the Waffen-Sturm-Brigade RONA, was a collaborationist military formation composed of Russian nationals from the territory of the Lokot Autonomy in the German-occupied regions of the Soviet Union. The unit became known for its poor discipline, frequent drunkenness, and extreme brutality, which reportedly shocked even experienced members of the SS.
The formation originated in late 1941 as an auxiliary police militia numbering around 200 men. By mid-1943, it had expanded to 10,000–12,000 personnel, equipped with captured Soviet tanks and artillery, and was commanded by Bronislav Kaminski. In 1942, Kaminski implemented forced mobilization of local residents, turning the militia into a small regular army of the Lokot Autonomy, also referred to as the "Lokot Republic". The force effectively became Kaminski's personal army, subordinate to him alone.
Following the German defeat at the Battle of Kursk in August 1943, RONA units retreated to the territory of Byelorussia, particularly to the Lyepyel area of Vitebsk, where they took part in anti-partisan operations conducted by German forces. During these operations, the unit committed numerous atrocities against the civilian population.
The unit was incorporated into the Waffen-SS in June 1944. After Operation Bagration, the RONA withdrew further west, and by the end of July 1944, the remnants of the Kaminski formation—estimated at between 3,000 and 7,000 men—had regrouped at the SS training camp in Neuhammer. Based on this force, the SS leadership planned to establish the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA . Heinrich Himmler signed the order for the division's creation on 1 August 1944, the same day the Warsaw Uprising began. The formation of the division was never completed, and part of the brigade was deployed to Warsaw, where its members again committed numerous atrocities. Kaminski was later executed on Himmler's orders.
By 27 August 1944, due to the brigade's lack of discipline and unreliability, German command withdrew it from Warsaw. The unit was subsequently sent to the Slovak Republic, where it was deployed against Slovak partisans. After October 1944, the brigade was disbanded, and its remaining personnel were absorbed into Andrey Vlasov's Russian Liberation Army.
After the war, some former members of the brigade and supporters of the Lokot Autonomy organized a partisan movement, which gradually degenerated into criminal groups and was eventually suppressed in 1951.
History
In Russia
In October 1941, the military advance of Nazi Germany into the Soviet Union reached the Lokot area near the city of Bryansk, capturing it on 6 October 1941. In November 1941, an engineer at the local alcohol plant, Bronislav Kaminski, and a local technical school teacher, Konstantin Voskoboinik, approached the German military administration with a proposal to assist in establishing a civil administration and local police.Before the beginning of the war on the Eastern Front, the Lokot area had been designated as a settlement zone for people prohibited from returning to their former homes in major Soviet cities—Kaminski himself being one of them. Voskoboinik was appointed by the Germans as starosta of the "Lokot volost" and as head of the local militia unit.
The militia under Voskoboinik initially consisted of about 200 men and assisted the German authorities in various operations, including the persecution and killing of civilians accused of loyalty to the Soviet government or suspected of being Soviet partisans. By January 1942, the militia's strength had increased to between 400 and 500 men.
During a raid led by Soviet partisan commander Alexander Saburov on 8 January 1942, Voskoboinik was mortally wounded. Following his death, Kaminski assumed command and expanded the militia.
In cooperation with German forces, the militia began participating in anti-partisan operations. By the spring of 1942, its strength had risen to approximately 1,400 armed personnel. The number of Soviet partisans operating in the region was estimated at up to 20,000, and they controlled much of the rear area of Army Group Centre's operations.
In mid-March 1942, Kaminski's representative informed the German Second Panzer Army headquarters at Orel that Kaminski's unit was "ready to actively fight the guerrillas" and conduct propaganda against "Jew-Bolshevism" and Soviet partisans. Subsequently, the commander of the 2nd Army, Generaloberst Rudolf Schmidt, appointed Kaminski as mayor of the Army Rear Area 532, headquartered in Lokot. On 19 July 1942, following approval by Field Marshal Günther von Kluge, commander of Army Group Centre, Schmidt and the 532nd Area commander, Kaminski was granted a degree of autonomy and nominal self-governing authority under the supervision of Major von Veltheim and Colonel Rübsam. Kaminski became the chief mayor of the Autonomous Administration of Lokot and commander of the local militia brigade.
Beginning in June 1942, Kaminski's militia participated in a major operation codenamed Operation Vogelsang as part of Generalleutnant Werner Freiherr von und zu Gilsa's Kampfgruppe ''Gilsa II. This formation included one Panzer regiment from the 5th Panzer Division, elements of the 216th Infantry Division, Kaminski's militia, and detachments from the Hungarian 102nd and 108th Light Divisions. The militia served as guides, scouts, and interpreters, remaining with Kampfgruppe Gilsa II until its disbandment in October 1942.
The official results of this operation—the first major engagement involving Kaminski's troops—reported 1,193 alleged partisans killed, 1,400 wounded, 498 captured, and 12,531 civilians "evacuated". The Kampfgruppe'' suffered 58 killed and 130 wounded out of a total strength of more than 6,500 personnel.
Russian People's Liberation Army
Kaminski decided to give his militia an official title, naming it the Russian People's Liberation Army. In autumn 1942, he ordered the compulsory conscription of all able-bodied men into the militia. The units were further reinforced with "volunteers" recruited from among Soviet prisoners of war in nearby Nazi concentration camps. From 1941 onward, due to fuel shortages and minor mechanical issues, Kaminski's unit was instructed to collect abandoned Soviet tanks and armoured vehicles. By November 1942, the formation possessed at least two BT-7 light tanks and one 76 mm artillery system.Due to the shortage of military uniforms and footwear—some members were reportedly barefoot—the Germans supplied used uniforms, sufficient for only four battalions. By late 1942, the militia of the Lokot Autonomy had expanded to a 14-battalion brigade, comprising nearly 8,000 armed men. From 19 November to December 1942, Lokot was inspected under orders from Alfred Rosenberg. As of January 1943, the brigade numbered 9,828 men; its armoured unit included one heavy KV-2, two medium T-34, three BT-7, and two BT-5 light tanks, along with three armoured cars.
In spring 1943, the brigade was reorganised into five regiments, each consisting of three battalions, along with an anti-aircraft battalion equipped with three anti-aircraft guns and four heavy machine guns, and an armoured unit. A separate "guard" battalion was also formed. The total brigade strength was estimated at up to 12,000 men.
Prior to Operation Citadel, the major German offensive aimed at destroying the Kursk salient, the brigade participated in Operation Zigeunerbaron in May–June 1943, alongside other German units. This was followed by similar operations—Freischütz and Tannhäuser—targeting partisans and involving reprisals against the civilian population.
During the summer of 1943, the brigade experienced mass desertions, partly due to recent Soviet victories and partisan efforts to persuade Kaminski's troops to defect. Several assassination attempts were made on Kaminski's life; each time, he narrowly survived and ordered the execution of those involved. German officers passing through Lokot reported seeing bodies hanging from gallows outside Kaminski's headquarters. To prevent a collapse in discipline, a German liaison staff was assigned to Kaminski's headquarters to reorganise the brigade and restore order. At this stage, the unit's strength was estimated at around 8,500 men. Its armoured component included one heavy KV-2, four medium T-34s, three BT-5 light tanks, one T-37 amphibious tank, one BA-10 armoured car, and two armoured carriers.
Following the failure of Operation Citadel, Soviet counter-offensives forced the brigade and their families to retreat alongside the withdrawing German forces. On 29 July 1943, Kaminski issued orders for the evacuation of property and the families of RONA members and Lokot officials. By the end of August 1943, up to 30,000 people—including 10,000–11,000 brigade members—had been relocated by the Germans to the Lyepyel area of Vitebsk in Belarus. According to post-war Soviet estimates, up to 10,000 civilians were killed during the existence of the Kaminski formation.
In Belarus
The brigade eventually settled in the Lyepyel area of Vitebsk, a region heavily dominated by partisans. The unit was engaged in continuous combat in this area for the remainder of the year.During the retreat, desertions from the brigade increased significantly, bringing the formation to the brink of collapse. When the commander of the 2nd Regiment, Major Tarasov, decided to defect to the partisans with his entire regiment—having been promised amnesty in return—Kaminski reportedly flew to Tarasov's headquarters and, according to one account, strangled him and eight others in front of their men. Despite the threat of reprisals, up to 200 soldiers deserted within the following two days. By early October 1943, the brigade had lost two-thirds of its personnel, although it retained 12 tanks, one 122 mm gun, three 76 mm guns, and eight 45 mm artillery pieces.
On 27 January 1944, Heinrich Himmler awarded Kaminski the Iron Cross 2nd Class and, on the same day, the Iron Cross 1st Class, in recognition of his "achievements." On 15 February 1944, Kaminski issued an order to relocate the brigade and its administration further west to the Dzyatlava area in western Belarus.