Russian Units Involved in the Famine in Oleshky Have Been Named

Journalists have identified Russian military units that may be involved in the humanitarian disaster in the occupied town of Oleshky on the left bank of the Kherson region.

According to Slidstvo.Info, these are the 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the 331st Guards Parachute Regiment.

According to the journalists, the commanders of these units may be involved in the blockade of the city, which is causing local residents to suffer from hunger. Oleshky is facing shortages of food, medicine, and gas.

126th Coastal Defense Brigade

The 126th Separate Coastal Defense Brigade of the Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet was formed in 2014 from servicemen of the former Ukrainian 36th Coastal Defense Brigade, who defected to Russia following the occupation of Crimea. The unit is stationed in the village of Perevalne in Crimea.

After the start of the full-scale invasion, the brigade fought in the Kherson region. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, by mid-April 2022, it had lost up to 75% of its personnel.

Currently, the brigade continues to fight on the Kherson front as part of the Russian “Dnipro” group. In early September, Ukrainian marines reported the elimination of several soldiers from the 126th Brigade at a small cemetery near Oleshky.

The OSINT project “Commanders of Failure” identifies the brigade’s commander as 43-year-old Konstantin Kochetkov. At the start of the full-scale war, he commanded a marine battalion.

331st Airborne Regiment

The 331st Guards Parachute Regiment is part of the Russian Federation’s 98th Guards Airborne Division and is stationed in the Kostroma region.

After the start of the full-scale invasion, the unit took part in the offensive in the Kyiv region and fought in the Svatove-Kreminna and Bakhmut sectors. In 2024–2025, it was deployed in the battles for Chasiv Yar.

According to Serhiy Sitnikov, governor of the Kostroma region, the regiment is commanded by 40-year-old Oleg Morozov, whose call sign is “Kholod.” He was appointed to the position in August 2025.

Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since the first days of the full-scale invasion. The city is located approximately 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