Ukrainian paramilitary volunteer units became a key to fight threats of the russo-separatist hybrid war and their activity could be strongly reflected in the outcome of combat operations. This case study examines a phenomenon of volunteer battalions including myths and controversies that accompany them. The paper defines and analyzes four most controversial issues that are connected with volunteer units and confronts them with reality. Furthermore, it deals with roots and origins of these controversies and examines consequences of problematic units on the security and political situation in Ukraine. These topics include a spread of radical nationalism, fascism and neo-Nazism in volunteer units, criminal activities of volunteer fighters , the role of religion in the volunteer movement and links between volunteer units and political parties or oligarchs and related problems such as financing.

The Donbas war in Ukraine has resulted in over 380,000 veterans who now have to reintegrate into civilian life again. What to do with former combatants has been on the agenda for many years since their reintegration plays a critical role in the transition from war to peace. Researchers have emphasized the relevancy of conducting more studies about how the veterans themselves experience the transition to civilian life. Therefore, this study which is based on ten qualitative in-depth interviews explores how Ukrainian war veterans experienced the reintegration process following the war in Donbas and how they adjusted their identities in the transition from military to civilian life.Through a thematic analytical approach and by using a theoretical framework related to identity adjustment processes their experiences were analysed. The results of this study show that although the extent to which the veterans are in need of assistance after deployment varies, all veterans did experience difficulties when returning to a civilian setting. The bureaucratic processes and media coverage of veterans were expressed to have the biggest negative impact. Female veterans had experiences that differed from their male counterparts both before deployment and during the transition phase. Moreover, all veterans to some extent experienced identity disruptions during the reintegration process. Ultimately, the ongoing war in Donbas is impacting the possibility for these veterans to fully move on and take on their civilian responsibilities. They continue to wait for the prospects of peace, both for their country and for themselves.