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Vladimir Vladimirovich Gil (Russian: Владимир Владимирович Гиль; born 11 June 1906, Vileyka – died 14 May 1944, ), also known by the pseudonyms I.G. Rodionov or Radionov (German: Radjanoff), was a colonel of the Red Army and the founder and leader of the German-backed and the . Gil and his unit later went over to the Soviet partisans, and he died in combat with the Wehrmacht.
In 1938, the Ministry of Defense promoted Gil to captain, major the next year, and then finally lieutenant colonel on 28 February 1940. On 19 May 1940, Gil was appointed the head of fifth headquarters unit of the and then as head of the 8th Mechanized Brigade on 28 November. On 5 March 1941, he was named chief of the 12th Mechanized Corps's operations department. Gil was again reassigned on 22 March 1941, this time as chief of staff for the 229th Rifle Division, under the 69th Rifle Corps in the 20th Army.
In autumn 1941, Gil initiated the creation of the Anti-communism "Russian National People's Party", to be supervised by SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Shindowski, head of the local Sicherheitsdienst (SD) office. Its members were 25 former Red Army officers who had previously been selected by the SD for sabotage operations. A group from the party were sent to a training camp near Breslau and a month-long study inside Germany at the beginning of 1942. On 20 April 1942, the party reformed as the (BSRN), still under Gil's leadership.
On 1 May 1942, 100 Russian prisoners of war (90 officers and 10 enlisted men) joined the BSRN. They were released from prison and dressed in Czech uniforms. Former Red Army officers were reduced in rank to basic infantry platoon members. Accompanied by SD officers, they were moved to Parczew and Lublin for training. After three weeks, the unit received the name "Druzhina" and was assigned to hunting Ashkenazi Jews and Polish GL partisans in the same area. By the end of summer 1942, the Druzhina had become a brigade-strength unit. Gil at this time took the pseudonym Radionov, the surname of his mother's mother.
Late in August 1942 the Druzhina Brigade was sent to Smolensk to guard a former city prison. The next month, they arrived at Bykhaw, near Mogilev, and participated in anti-partisan activities throughout the area. 150 German and Byelorussian policemen were assigned to the unit while it was in Mogilev. Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski praised the unit's actions in Mogilev his diaries.Diary of Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, Bundesarchiv R 020 / 000045b. The effectiveness of the Druzhina Brigade has been questioned by historians since the war.
In its first action as a partisan unit, Gil's brigade attacked the German garrisons at Dokshytsy and nearby railway station. The Germans counterattacked with tanks and air support, nearly surrounding the unit.
On 20 August, the sent a working group by air to integrate the former Druzhina Brigade. Two days later, Gil met with and , members of the Communist Party of Byelorussia. The 1st Anti-Fascist Partisan Brigade was officially formed on 26 August and its members swore allegiance to the Soviet Union. Gil was awarded the Order of the Red Star on 16 September 1943 for the defection of his unit and its activities as a partisan unit.
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