Kraken Operations Unit

Kraken Active Operations Unit is a unit of the Department of Active Operations, as part of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine.

The unit was established by Konstantin Nemichev on March 12, 2022, shortly following the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It was formed on the basis of the 225th and 226th Battalions of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade, stationed in Kharkiv, which were commanded by Nemichev and Serhiy Velychko, respectively. This consisted of approximately 5,000 fighters, who were trained throughout 2021 and shortly before the full-scale invasion.

Many had joined the unit, including prisoners who were released on the onset of the full-scale invasion, former soldiers of the Azov Regiment, Kharkiv football ultras, and political activists.

In the first days of the unit’s activity, it was estimated to be approximately 600 men in size. The unit would fight alongside the 92nd Mechanized Brigade and defend the city of Kharkiv during the first months of the full-scale invasion, mainly in the North Saltivka direction. The volunteers would also help to defend School No. 134 alongside units such as the Freikorps Volunteer Unit in late February 2022.

In late March 2022, the unit was officially formed and designated as the Kraken Volunteer Unit, based on one of the commanders’ experiences and background in naval special forces. Following the successful defense of Kharkiv, the unit helped to liberate the towns of Ruska Lozova and Pytomynk, where it was officially designated as the Separate Sabotage and Reconnaissance Unit “Kraken”.

The unit partook in the Kharkiv offensive in September 2022, where they gained significance, liberating Balakliia and Kupyiansk, and 20 other small towns and villages. In early 2023, alongside the 92nd Mechanized Brigade, they defended the city of Bakhmut in a sector nicknamed “Garden Centre”.

In August 2023, Azov-Kharkiv left the structure of the unit and joined the 60th Mechanized Brigade.
During the summer of 2025, a significant proportion of Kraken’s unmanned component left the unit and joined 3rd Army Corps, forming the core of the 21st Unmanned Systems Regiment.

Insignia

The insignia follows a triangular-shaped icon with a border divided into two colors, red and black. The interior of the patch depicts the Kraken creature, based on Scandinavian mythology and depicted as an aggressive creature, containing a Tiwaz rune embedded in the head of the creature, and the bottom of the insignia is inscribed with the units name in white.