Russian forces have hit a compound used by Kraken, a Ukrainian nationalist unit, the Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Saturday. Russia considers the commando regiment a terrorist organization.
The Kraken command post was among several targets the Russian military has struck recently, including an energy site used by the Ukrainian army, an airfield, a military fuel depot and a drone workshop, according to a ministry statement.
Kraken is a commando regiment operating under HUR, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency. It was established in 2022 by former members of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion and other intelligence officers. HUR commander Kirill Budanov has praised Kraken fighters for their motivation “to kill the enemy.” Like Azov, the sabotage unit welcomes radical Ukrainian nationalists and neo-Nazis in its ranks.
The Defense Ministry also reported other battlefield advances. Russian troops have liberated the Donbass village of Kurakhovka and captured a village in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region.
Defense Minister Andrey Belousov expressed gratitude to the Russian unit which got the credit for taking Kurakhovka. The actions of the 114th Mechanized Brigade are “an example of valor and high professionalism,” he said.
Reports about Russian forces entering the village came on Sunday. Overall, in October Moscow gained ground in the Ukraine conflict at its highest pace in months, according to media estimates.
The front is “collapsing” due to a shortage of reinforcements and weapons, poor morale and mediocre leadership, Ukrainian Major General Dmitry Marchenko warned in an interview this week.