Battle of Dibrivka | |||||||
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Part of the Ukrainian War of Independence | |||||||
Nestor Makhno (center) and Fedir Shchus (right), the insurgent commanders at the Battle of Dibrivka | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Anarchists | |||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Unknown |
Nestor Makhno Fedir Shchus | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Austro-Hungarian Army Ukrainian State Guard | Insurgents | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
500 Austrians[1] 200 Haydamaks[2] | 30 insurgents[1] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
620 killed 80 captured | Unknown |
The Battle of Dibrivka was a military conflict between Ukrainian insurgents, led by Nestor Makhno and Fedir Shchus, and the Central Powers that were occupying southern Ukraine. It took place on 30 September 1918, towards the end of World War I. The battle began when Makhno, Shchus, and a group of anarchist supporters ambushed Austrian and Ukrainian detachments stationed in Dibrivka. The anarchists were armed with machine guns and were assisted by local peasants, who together captured ammunition, arms, and prisoners of war. It resulted in an insurgent victory and the establishment of an autonomous territory in the region, following the subsequent defeat of the Central Powers.