A Russian unit from Crimea, made up of Ukrainians, may be involved in the famine in Oleshky

The Russian 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, which may be implicated in the humanitarian disaster in Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, was formed on the basis of the Ukrainian 36th Brigade, which surrendered to the occupiers in Crimea in 2014.

This is reported in an article by “Slidstvo.Info.”

According to “Slidstvo.Info,” the brigade is currently in the area of occupied Oleshky. The occupiers are blocking food supplies to the city, leaving people without food, medicine, electricity, or gas.

After the start of the full-scale war, the brigade fought in the Kherson region, particularly in the battles for Voznesensk. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, by mid-April 2022, it had lost up to 75% of its personnel. At the same time, the Russian authorities awarded it the title of “Guards” for its bravery.

Prior to the occupation of Crimea, the 36th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade, one of the most combat-ready Ukrainian units on the peninsula, was stationed in the village of Perevalne. Its commander was Serhiy Storozhenko.

In late February 2014, Russian forces seized the Crimean parliament and government buildings. On March 2, they approached the gates of the military unit dressed in civilian clothing.

“The brigade’s morale is high. We are ready to act in accordance with regulations in the event of a breach of our post’s perimeter. The guard and the unit on duty are on high alert,” Storozhenko assured Ukrainian and foreign journalists.

According to Yuriy Golovashchenko, then-commander of the 36th Brigade’s mountain infantry battalion, the brigade commander initially stated that there could be no question of cooperating with the occupiers.

At the same time, when the occupiers demanded that they surrender their weapons and offer no resistance, Storozhenko, according to Golovashchenko, told the officers: “I will not let my men die; I am surrendering the brigade.”

On March 21, a Russian flag was hoisted over the unit. After that, the Russian command formed the 126th Coastal Defense Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet at its base. Storozhenko commanded it until August 2016.

A few years later, in an interview with a Russian newspaper, Storozhenko claimed that he had waited until the very last moment for a clear order from Kyiv, but never received one. According to him, Turchynov, then acting president of Ukraine, said over the phone, “You must use your weapons,” but no combat order was ever issued.

According to Storozhenko, of the approximately 1,200 soldiers in the 36th Brigade, nearly 200 left to serve in Ukraine, about 300 resigned, and about 600 remained in Perevalne in their posts.

Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since the first days of the full-scale invasion. The city is located about nine kilometers from Kherson.

According to the Kherson Regional State Administration, about 2,000 people remain in Oleshky, including 50 children. Before the full-scale war, the city had a population of over 24,000.

Ірина Глухова