First Details Emerge About the 21st Army Corps

MilitaryLand has obtained a gift certificate issued by the command of the newly formed 21st Army Corps of the Territorial Defense Forces. According to the information on the certificate, the formation has been assigned military unit A5160, with Colonel Valeriy Kurach as its commander. Unlike most of the newly established armed corps, which fall under the Operational Commands of the Ground Forces, the 21st Army Corps is under the direct command of the Territorial Defense Forces.

About the commander

Colonel Valeriy Kurach was born in 1976. From 2016 to 2019, he served as the commander of the 79th Air Assault Brigade. After leaving active duty, he remained in reserve until Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, when he returned to service.

In 2024, Kurach led the Vuhledar Tactical Group, which was formed from the command staff of the 7th Rapid Response Corps. According to Ukrainian journalist Yulia Kerienko-Merinova, he failed to make a timely decision to withdraw troops when the flanks collapsed, which led to the Uspenivka encirclement near Kurakhove and heavy infantry losses. Following extensive media coverage of the incident, Kurach was dismissed from his post in December 2024.

One officer serving under his command described his leadership at headquarters:

“All he does is yell like a madman at the brigade commanders, sending assault units to retake lost positions. I’m often at the brigade’s command post, and I constantly hear him insulting brigade commanders and other subordinates. There are plenty of incompetent commanders in the Armed Forces, but Kurach surpasses them all.”

Hopefully, Kurach has learned from his past mistakes and will prove to be an effective commander of the 21st Army Corps.