13th Khartiia Brigade

Ukrainian special police unit
Khartiia Brigade
Sleeve patch of the Brigade
ActiveMarch 19, 2022 – Today
Country Ukraine
Branch National Guard of Ukraine
Role Offensive Guard
Garrison/HQKharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
EngagementsRussian invasion of Ukraine
  • Eastern Ukraine campaign[1]
  • 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive[1]
  • 2024 Kharkiv offensive[2]
Websitewww.khartiia.org
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Ihor Obolyenskyi
Notable
commanders		Lt. Colonel Anton Bayev
Vsevolod Kozhemyako
Igor Cornet
Insignia
Patch when unit was battalion size
Military unit

The 13th Khartiia Brigade (MUN 3102) (Ukrainian: хартія, lit. 'Charter', also spelled Khartia) is an assault brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine formed on March 19, 2022, that is currently a member of the Ukrainian Offensive Guard.[1]

History

The unit was founded, and is largely bankrolled, by Ukrainian businessman Vsevolod Kozhemyako, founder and CEO of the Agrotrade Group, one of Ukraine's largest food companies.[3] As such, the unit, then battalion strength, has been nicknamed the "billionaire's battalion" due to Kozhemyako's net worth being in the billions of hryvnia.[3] As such, despite officially being part of the army, the unit has been highly independent.[3] The unit was largely trained by Igor Cornet, a retired Lt. Colonel that worked for Agrotrade.[3] Due to Kozhemyako's patronage, the unit is one of the best equipped National Guard units, with full body armor, AK-47's, armored vehicles and tanks.[3] Kozhemyako has also stated that the unit will be disbanded upon the conclusion of the war.[3]

The battalion was initially part of the 127th Territorial Defense Brigade.[4][5] The unit had fought in Donetsk Oblast along various hotspots, namely, in Ocheretyne, but also in Kolomichika in Luhansk Oblast, and saw combat during the Battle of Bakhmut.[6][7][8][9]

In March of 2023 the unit was increased in strength and elevated to a Brigade of the National Guard.[10][11][12] On April 23, 2023, Kateryna Pavlichenko, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Ruslan Muzychuk, spokesman of the National Guard, announced that the Khartiia Brigade would become the ninth brigade in the Offensive Guard.[1] Muzychuk also stated that the brigade was part of the spearhead of the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive after being one of the units that attempted to defend the oblast during Russia's occupation of the northern and eastern portions of the oblast.[1][13] During the fighting in Kharkiv, the Brigade's Lt. Colonel, Anton Bayev, gave an interview to the BBC reporting on the Russian use of "meat assaults" by sending poorly trained and equipped convicts and conscripts in human wave actions with mass casualties.[14]

For the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the National Guard of Ukraine on March 26, 2024, the Khartiia Brigade used a drone to hoist a Ukrainian Flag on a power pylon behind Russian lines.[15]

In June 2024 poet, novelist and musician Serhiy Zhadan joined the ranks of the brigade.[16]

On August 13, 2024, as part of the Ukrainian defense of the 2024 Kharkiv offensive, the unit destroyed a Russian armored column, killing 10, wounding 30, and destroying four tanks and damaging another near Hlyboke, Kharkiv Oblast.[2][17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e ROMANENKO, VALENTYNA. "One more brigade called Khartiia to be added to Offensive Guard". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b "National Guard soldiers hit Russian tank column in Kharkiv region". Ukrinform. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Beaubien, Jason. "A look inside the Ukrainian 'billionaire's battalion' fighting Russian forces". NPR. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  4. ^ "«Тут живуть люди і діти»: як виглядає Руська Лозова на Харківщині після звільнення".
  5. ^ "Ким країна та Харків завжди будуть пишатись: Бутусов назвав підрозділи, які розгромили окупантів на Харківщині". 057.ua - Сайт міста Харкова (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  6. ^ "Знімки аеророзвідки та штурм противника: як працює штаб добровольчого підрозділу "‎Хартія"".
  7. ^ "Батальйон "Хартія" показав, як росіян вибивають з позицій під Сватовим (відео)".
  8. ^ Kyrylenko, Olha; Protz, Anastasia. "Khartiia brigade arrives in Ocheretyne district to strengthen Ukrainian forces". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  9. ^ Farrell, Francis. "Russia's move on Kharkiv has bogged down. But was it a failure?". Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  10. ^ «Хартія» стане механізованою бригадою у складі Нацгвардії України
  11. ^ «Гвардія наступу»: як набирають бійців, вимоги, зарплата та пільги
  12. ^ "ЧАС ПОВЕРТАТИ СВОЄ". storm.mvs.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2023-04-19. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
  13. ^ "On the frontlines of Ukraine's Kharkiv as Russia presses attack". Reuters. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  14. ^ Corera, Gordon. "Ukraine calls them meat assaults: Russia's brutal plan to take ground". BBC. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  15. ^ "On National Guard Day, Khartiia Brigade soldiers utilize drone to secure Ukrainian flag behind enemy lines". New Voice of Ukraine. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Zhadan confirmed that he had joined the ranks of the National Guard". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Khartiia Brigade fought off an armor assault of the invaders in the Kharkiv region". mil.in.ua. Retrieved 16 August 2024.