Vladimir Artyomovich Zhoga[1] (Russian: Владимир Артёмович Жога, Ukrainian: Володимир Артемович Жога; 26 May 1993 – 5 March 2022), also known by his nom de guerre Vokha (Russian: Воха),[2] was a separatist who commanded the Sparta Battalion, a pro-Russian separatist force that is involved in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

[4][1][6] In 2014, Zhoga and his father Artem[6] joined the Sparta Battalion, one of several pro-Russian separatist militias which emerged during the war in Donbas.

Both the unit and Zhoga himself have been described as being associated with neo-Nazism by some international media, though research by German anti-extremist news website Belltower could not identify a direct link between the Sparta Battalion and Nazism.

[9] Zhoga was a close confidant and the personal driver of the Sparta Battalion's commander Arsen Pavlov[5][6][2] as well as the eventual deputy head of the unit,[1] while his father Artem rose to chief of staff.

[14] The Ukrainian news site Glavcom alleged that the accident had been an assassination attempt by a Russian soldier (codenamed "Ermine") who acted as advisor to the Sparta Battalion.

[14][18] Journalist Nicholas Potter argued that the portrayal of Zhoga as a victim was "cynical", considering that the Sparta Battalion was the aggressor in the battle.

[20] Komsomolskaya Pravda war correspondent and propagandist Alexander Kots wrote a "glowing obituary" for Zhoga which was characterized by Al Jazeera as part of Russian propaganda efforts.