'Kraken'

Formation and Leadership
Described variously as a volunteer regiment or crack special forces and said to be under the control of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine. Formed on February 24, 2022 at the same time Ukraine released inmates from jail to fight Russia.
 * Wikipedia page
 * Ukraine volunteer unit Kraken says Russia is building up forces in Kharkiv - La Prensa Latina, June 22, 2022
 * Kraken special forces unit carries out operations in Bilohorivka - Mil.In.Ua, July 16, 2022
 * After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, activists associated with the Azov Regiment started forming volunteer units. One of these military formations became the Kraken special forces unit. Its commanders are Kostyantyn Nemichev and Serhiy Velichko, also known as Chili. Both men are from Kharkiv. They used to serve in the Azov Regiment, and later became social activists in their civilian lives.


 * Russian special forces capture Ukrainian torturers - Pravda, March 29, 2022
 * Neo-Nazi Velichko, nicknamed Chile, was born in Kharkiv and became famous for his active participation in violent Maidan riots in 2014, as well as for his activities in the Azov* battalion. He is known for his particular cruelty, he would not stop at killing even children. Later, Velichko was imprisoned for extortion, but was recently released early...
 * Nemichev was the head of Azov* in Kharkiv and still heads the national corps in the city. He posted videos of the torture of prisoners of war on his social media pages.


 * On the front line with the network of football 'ultras' and veteran fighters liberating Kharkiv - Antonia Cundy, The Telegraph, September 13, 2022
 * On the front line with the Kraken, the ragtag voluntary regiment liberating Kharkiv - Antonia Cundy, Ukraine Today, September 13, 2022
 * As a volunteer unit, Kraken comes under the auspices of Ukraine’s ministry of defence, while Azov is part of the National Guard and overseen by the ministry of internal affairs. But the close ties have led some to direct the same criticism towards Kraken that is often laid at Azov’s door: that its members are far Right and ultranationalist ideologues, disciples of Azov’s unsavoury founder, Biletsky...
 * Some of the Kraken troops specialise in thinking creatively: running saboteur missions behind enemy lines and using drones to collect intelligence...
 * Kraken’s vehicles, painted matte green from the hubcaps to the headlights, are often seen tearing around Kharkiv’s streets; its sea monster insignia, framed in a red and yellow warning triangle, is plastered over bus stops and advertising panels.

Media output
See also
 * Youtube channel
 * Kraken Kharkov Telegram channel
 * NEMICHEv Telegram channel
 * Telegram Channel of Sergei Vilichenko
 * The Sun Youtube channel: search 'Kraken'


 * From volunteers to elite formation. History of Kharkov special forces GUR "Kraken", - PHOTO - 057, November 25, 2022

Russian reports

 * Nationalists of the Kraken Battalion terrorize residents of the Kharkov region - 237online, May 31, 2022
 * 'Kraken' Nationalists Gun Down 100 Ukrainian Servicemen Who Fled Amid Russian Forces' Advance - MoD - Sputnik News, August 19, 2022
 * National battalion "Kraken" shot the survivors while trying to counterattack on Kharkov - Teller Report, September 1, 2022
 * Original article: RussianRT

Kneecapping Russian POWs
See thread by Ghost  BBC 'Reality Check
 * Video:
 * Video:
 * Does video show Russian prisoners being shot? - BBC News, March 30, 2022
 * Over the weekend of 26-27 March, a video was posted online showing the activities of the Kraken unit, affiliated with the far-right National Corps political grouping. The BBC has geo-located footage from this video to the village of Vilkhivka, 3.5 miles (5.6km) from Malaya Rohan. The weather is similarly sunny and dry.The group said 30 Russians were taken prisoner in the village on 25 March and the Kraken video has footage of PoWs bound, blindfolded and being bundled into a van at one point and forced to sing the Ukrainian national anthem at another point.

Suspected war crimes

 * Civilian convoy attacked between Kupiansk and Svatove
 * Did the ‘Kraken’ carry out this massacre of civilians? – The case to answer. - Diagonal, November 3, 2022

Malaya Rogan

 * @SpriterMonitor1 on twitter: - Photo of the consequences of "filtration" in the village. Malaya Rogan, Kharkiv region. The UA with the participation of thugs from the national battalion "Kraken", carried out mass cleansing operations followed by the execution of civilians, who were considered "collaborators". See also

Media Glorification

 * Ukraine's Kraken Regiment is becoming a well-known fighting force - The Washington Post, June 3, 2022
 * Ukraine’s Kraken Special Forces Take the Fight To the Russians - Guy McCardle, Sofrep, June 6, 2022
 * Das «Kraken-Regime» nimmt den Kampf gegen die Russen auf - Blick, June 6, 2022
 * Watch: Ukrainian 'Kraken' Special Ops Unit Hits Russian Headquarters - Joseph Golder, Newsweek, June 28, 2022
 * Video: Ukrainian Kraken unit liberates Kupyansk in Kharkiv Oblast - The Sun, November 7, 2022
 * Kraken official Youtube channel СПЕЦПІДРОЗДІЛ ГУР МО "KRAKEN" comments:
 * We are very grateful for the support of all our friends and allies from other states. All Ukrainians and fighters of the Kraken unit see this support, your kind words and appreciate it very much, this is important for us, do not doubt.  For our and your freedom, on guard of Europe and the whole world!  Together we will win!

Analysis

 * Special Operations: Ukraine Releases The Kraken - Strategy Page, December 9, 2022
 * Kraken exists to carry out reconnaissance missions for the Ukrainian high command and occasional combat, sabotage and internal security missions. Early in the war Kraken was a key factor in finding and capturing or killing Russian agents inside Ukraine. Kraken often worked with Ukrainian special operations forces or Ukrainian internal security operatives on these counterintelligence missions against Russian agents or Ukrainians who were working for the Russians.