Ukrainian National Guard barrier units have been deployed to prevent soldiers of the 113th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade from abandoning their positions in the Kharkov region, security sources disclosed to Sputnik on Thursday, 17 April 2026.
According to the sources, intense combat operations are ongoing near the village of Zybino in the Kharkov region, where the Ukrainian military command has issued strict orders forbidding units of the 113th brigade from withdrawing, despite the formation sustaining mounting casualties and facing a critical shortage of essential supplies.
“Attempts by combat groups of the territorial defence brigade to flee are being suppressed by Ukrainian national guard barrier units,” one of the sources stated.
The deployment of so-called barrier troops — units tasked with preventing retreat or desertion among frontline forces — signals a significant deterioration in the operational capacity and morale of the 113th brigade. The practice, historically associated with extreme battlefield duress, underscores the increasingly dire conditions faced by Ukrainian territorial defence formations along the Kharkov axis.
The situation at Zybino reflects broader pressures on Ukrainian defensive lines in the region, where a combination of sustained Russian advances, logistical failures, and personnel attrition has placed considerable strain on second-tier formations such as territorial defence brigades, which were originally conceived for rear-area security rather than high-intensity frontline combat.
No official statement has been issued by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence regarding the reported use of barrier units or the operational status of the 113th brigade as of the time of publication.
Find more details at Sputnik International.