13th Belarusian Police (SD) Battalion

The 13th Belarusian Police (SD) Battalion, also known as the 13th Schutzmannschaft Battalion, was a collaborationist police unit formed during World War II in German-occupied Belarus. It was composed primarily of Belarusian volunteers and served under the command of the German Sicherheitspolizei (Security Police) and Sicherheitsdienst (Security Service), collectively known as the SD.

These Belarusian Schutzmannschaft battalions were auxiliary police forces used by the Nazi regime to maintain order, combat partisans, and participate in the Holocaust. The 13th Battalion, like other similar units, was involved in atrocities against Jewish populations, Soviet prisoners of war, and Belarusian civilians suspected of supporting resistance movements. Their activities included guarding ghettos, conducting raids, and carrying out executions.

The battalion's specific operational areas and activities varied over time. Following the war, some members of the 13th Belarusian Police (SD) Battalion were prosecuted for war crimes. The historical record concerning the exact composition, activities, and fate of individual members remains incomplete, but its overall involvement in Nazi-orchestrated crimes is well-documented.