Espanola (brigade)
| 88th Reconnaissance and Sabotage Brigade "Espaniola" | |
|---|---|
| 88-я разведывательно-диверсионная бригада «Эспаньола» | |
Espaniola's logo | |
| Founded | Spring 2022 |
| Disbanded | 3 October 2025 |
| Country | Russia |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | 550 members (self-claim, 2023) |
| Part of | Vostok Battalion (2022–2023) Volunteer Corps (2023–2025) |
| Colours | Black and white |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Stanislav Orlov (– 2025) |
The 88th Reconnaissance and Sabotage Brigade "Espaniola" (Russian: 88-я разведывательно-диверсионная бригада «Эспаньола», romanized: 88-ya razvedyvatel'no-diversionnaya brigada «Espan'yola») was a Russian irregular military formation created from radical fans of football clubs, including CSKA, Spartak, Torpedo, Zenit, Lokomotiv, Oryol and other teams. Stanislav Orlov, call sign “Испанец” (Spaniard) and a representative of the Red-Blue Warriors group, served as detachment commander.
At the beginning of its existence, the formation existed under the Vostok battalion of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). It was eventually put under the command of PMC "Redut" from Russia's military intelligence service GRU.
Many of the members of the brigade espouse right-wing, far-right, and neo-Nazi views. Espaniola is also known as the "88th Brigade", which according to Molfar is an explicit neo-Nazi reference. Members of the brigade refer to "14/88" and some have the numbers as a tattoo.
On October 3, 2025, Espaniola announced its disbandment as a reorganization of the group.