As of September 2014, 37 volunteer battalions took active part in battles of the War in Donbas.[4] Some of the battalion fighters are former Euromaidan activists, but their social background is highly diverse. They include students and military officers.[5] They enjoy a high level of support in Ukrainian society ranked second among the most respected institutions in the country. However, their close ties with Ukrainian oligarchs bring up a high risk of the volunteer formations becoming politicized or turning into private armies.[6] Ordered to leave the front lines in 2015, the volunteer battalion phenomenon was largely over within a year of its beginning.[7]