Kraken Officially Splits into Two Combat Units

Two months have passed since MilitaryLand unveiled the strength of the newly formed 3rd Army Corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces and reported that the Kraken Detachment had left the structure of the Main Intelligence Directorate to join the 3rd Army Corps. However, this was later debunked by Kraken officials, who stated that only part of the unmanned component had requested to join the corps. A significant portion of Kraken has now indeed officially joined the 3rd Army Corps, confirming our earlier information.

Two Krakens Instead of One

The Kraken Detachment has split into two units. Kraken’s founders, Serhiy Velichko and Konstantin Nemichev, together with part of the detachment, are leaving the Main Intelligence Directorate and have officially formed the core of the 21st Unmanned Systems Regiment “Kraken 1654,” as well as its 3rd Battalion. The number 1654 was not chosen at random—it marks the year of Kharkiv’s foundation, the city where Kraken itself was established in 2022. Meanwhile, some members have also joined other formations within the 3rd Army Corps.

“The new Kraken 1654 is named after the unit in which the fighters were trained as soldiers. This is a sign of respect from their comrades with whom they served together and a symbol of the Kraken traditions. Now some of its fighters will reinforce the command staff of the Corps’ Unmanned Systems Regiment. And they are already starting to build a new high-tech unit.“

The original Kraken Detachment has been officially reformed into the Kraken Active Operations Unit. It has been placed under the command of the Department of Active Operations within the Main Intelligence Directorate, whereas it was previously directly subordinated to the HUR MO.

This was confirmed by the official Telegram channel of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine’s International Legion, announcing that the Department of Active Operations now also includes the International Legion, the Artan Special Unit, and the Kryla Special Unit.

The Kraken Active Operations Unit has been commanded by Colonel Oleksandr Haydenko for quite some time. Although Velichko and Nemichev were the founders, they have not led Kraken since at least 2024.

Rumors had circulated for quite some time

For some time, it has been hinted by many service members of the Kraken Special Unit that such a move to join the 3rd Army Corps was plausible or even imminent. This was first indicated by members of the Kraken FPV Drone Company on May 16, 2025, on a Telegram publication by the unit.

“Sooner or later, the time for change comes, to alter the course of the war, to reconsider decisions to unite with fighters who worked in other directions, to create a more large-scale mission, to combine skills in pursuit of a common goal. Not to seek competition, but to think together, how to reach a new level of technological capability.”

Serhiy Velichko, known by his call sign “Chili”, also teased a possible step in the direction of joining the corps on his social media channels, followed by new social media channels for the Kraken Special Unit being created across several platforms with the statement: “New page, new path. Coming soon.”

About the 21st Regiment

The 21st Unmanned Systems Regiment was established in March 2025 on the basis of a drone battalion from the 3rd Assault Brigade and the 21st Special Purpose Battalion. In August 2025, the Muramasa unit joined the regiment. The regiment operates under the military unit number A4219, which had previously been assigned to the 21st Battalion.

Sources: Kraken 1654 official page, International Legion of HUR MO