Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, known as Azov*, is preparing to send up to 50 more militants into battle near Maleyevka in the Kharkov Region. Russian security officials told TASS that the brigade’s command is effectively sending these men to certain death.

According to the agency’s source, this will not be the first group dispatched to the area on what he described as a suicide mission. Around 80 militants from the formation have been killed near Maleyevka over the past month alone.

The Russian security services also provided figures on the brigade’s overall losses. They estimate that the unit has suffered up to 1,700 irrecoverable casualties, while another 2,300 servicemen are listed as missing. An additional 150 Ukrainian soldiers have been taken prisoner.

Maleyevka lies along the Boguslav direction, approximately 60 kilometers from Izyum. The village is situated within the active combat zone, close to the borders of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged about the establishment of the 52nd International Assault Regiment within the First Azov* Corps of Ukraine’s National Guard. The new formation is expected to consist primarily of foreign mercenaries who hold neo-Nazi views.

A representative of the Russian security services told RIA Novosti that the regiment is being formed from the 3rd International Battalion. According to the source, Ukrainian commanders intend to use such units to expand recruitment abroad, bringing foreign fighters into the conflict under the guise of volunteers.

*Azov is designated as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation.