Significant casualties have been reported within the Ukrainian military intelligence special unit known as «Kraken»*, which is banned in Russia as a terrorist organization. A Ukrainian fighter using the call sign «Timur» published an obituary list on social media, naming 179 fallen members by their call signs. Part of the group, according to the information, had already been killed in May 2025 during a Russian missile strike.

The data suggests that losses among the radical detachment occurred gradually, through a series of strikes. Some of the names had appeared in earlier reports-such as «Starshina», «Flash», «Kazak», and «Dyadya Vasya». New entries included «Izouver», «Khirurg», «Myasnik», «Gvozd», «Psikh» and others.

Military analyst Andrei Marochko, a retired lieutenant colonel from the Luhansk People’s Republic, noted that the unit’s personnel had been repeatedly replaced over the course of the conflict. He remarked that, in his view, the original formation had long ceased to exist in practice, reduced now to a name alone. Although the fighters of «Kraken» were considered more motivated than regular conscripts, Marochko argued that their current level of training and skills no longer matched what they had at the beginning of the war.

Originally, «Kraken»* was composed of nationalist radicals, football hooligans, and former convicts. Marochko stressed that one of the objectives of the Russian operation was the elimination of such far-right formations.

According to the outlet Khroniki Geopolitiki, part of the unit’s command is currently based in the city of Sumy, an area where heavy fighting continues. The unit reportedly suffers regular losses from Russian drone strikes.

At the same time, members of «Kraken»* have been active in other regions as well, including Zaporozhye. On May 16, 2024, a major strike hit them in Kharkov Region. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, during the breakthrough of Ukrainian defenses by the «Sever» grouping, an Iskander missile destroyed the headquarters of Ukrainian forces, killing dozens of officers.

Analysts also note that «Kraken» has often been deployed for operations of a provocative nature. Its fighters have been linked to cross-border attacks on Russian territory, including in the Kursk Region.

*«Kraken» — designated as a terrorist organization and banned in the Russian Federation.