Ex-Ukrainian brigade chief defecting in 2014 leads Russian push on Kupiansk - Media

It is reported that the Russian unit attempting to advance on Kupiansk is led by former Ukrainian officer Serhii Storozhenko. He defected to the side of the Russian troops back in 2014.

Reports authored by Storozhenko, concerning the pace of the advance on Kupiansk, are being sent to the Chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.

Who is Serhii Storozhenko

Storozhenko, a native of the village of Murafa in the Kharkiv region, began his service in the 36th Coastal Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy. There, he rose from company commander to brigade commander. He also served as deputy commander of the Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo as part of the KFOR forces.

Storozhenko betrayed Ukraine during Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Just a week after the so-called referendum on "joining Crimea," he received a Russian passport and later headed the 126th Coastal Defense Brigade established by Russia.

Storozhenko himself claimed that he had retired during the events on the peninsula, submitting the relevant report. He insisted that he took no action — neither against Ukraine nor against Russia.

However, his former colleagues say Storozhenko is lying. The officer actively encouraged Ukrainian soldiers to betray their oath — surrender their weapons and join the Russian forces. He also provided the occupying forces with substantial assistance while still serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Former Ukrainian Armed Forces spokesperson in Crimea and military analyst Colonel Vladyslav Seleznov, who personally knew Storozhenko, believes that Russia simply bought him off. Storozhenko, in particular, was involved in schemes to divert humanitarian aid from his unit for personal gain.

"I think in 2014 he was given an offer he couldn’t refuse… He was a decent officer and cared about his reputation, but the ultimate test — when life shows who’s who — he failed," Seleznov said.

Participation in the war against Ukraine

At the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Storozhenko headed the headquarters of the 35th Russian Army of the Eastern Military District. This military unit fought on the territory of the Kharkiv region. The 35th Army was completely destroyed in early June 2022 during the battles for Izium.

Storozhenko is linked to a number of war crimes, including giving orders to strike Sumy with missiles. In 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the collaborator’s service by promoting him to lieutenant general and appointing him commander of the 6th Army, which is attempting to capture Kupiansk.

Situation in Kupiansk: What is known

Reports claiming that Russian forces had allegedly reached the center of Kupiansk caused a lot of commotion. However, the spokesperson for the Dnipro Operational-strategic grouping of forces, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksii Belskyi, assured that this information is false. These claims were also refuted by the Center for Countering Disinformation.

Earlier, however, the commander of the 429th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment Achilles, Yurii Fedorenko, reported that a significant number of Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups were in the city. It was later discovered that the occupiers had entered the city through underground sewage pipes. But this ended badly for them: the Ukrainian Armed Forces quickly flooded and destroyed these routes.

RBC-Ukraine previously covered Russia’s intentions to capture Kupiansk in autumn and winter in a separate material titled Russia's fall offensive: Where enemy may strike and possible dangers for Ukraine.