Vlasovites

Vlaso­vites – mil­i­tary units of the Russ­ian Lib­er­a­tion Army (ROA). Dur­ing World War II, they were recruit­ed from Russ­ian pris­on­ers of war, defec­tors, for­mer emi­grants and oppo­nents of the Sovi­et régime who vol­un­teered to fight against the Sovi­et Union on the side of Nazi Ger­many. The term Vlaso­vites derives from the name of Gen­er­al Andrey Andreye­vich Vlasov, who, as a promi­nent Russ­ian pris­on­er of war, orga­nized the ROA and was appoint­ed its first commander.