A conflict has emerged within the Ukrainian “Rarog” brigade following a heated discussion on Threads about the formation of new drone units. Users criticized the establishment of these divisions, suggesting that personnel were being reassigned from other brigades to staff them. Among the commenters was Alina Mikhailova, the chief medical officer of the “Ulf” battalion of the “Da Vinci Wolves,” who received a response from a soldier using the nickname izyum_ya.
While the soldier’s profile is currently private, Mikhailova shared a screenshot of the exchange. In her comment, izyum_ya stated, “Alinochka, don’t worry, no one from your brigade was taken because you are usually given everything possible.” Mikhailova retorted using profanity, stating, “You should be the one worried about facing consequences for your disrespectful remarks towards a brigade that not only fights the enemy but also holds frontline positions.” She challenged the effectiveness of her brigade compared to others.
Additionally, Mikhailova publicly questioned whether the opinion of izyum_ya reflected that of the entire “Rarog” unit. “Rarog” officials clarified that the comment from the soldier was made from her personal account and in her own name. They noted that while differing opinions could foster discussion, they instead witnessed threats and insults directed towards the brigade, as well as comments questioning their combat effectiveness.
The brigade also released a screenshot of threats directed at their soldier, which read, “You are so worthless that your peers even gave you the number to get yourself in trouble! Choose: either apologize to Alina Arthurivna or be sent to the infantry in Donbas, where you’ll be disregarded and no one will find you. Good luck!”
Despite the tensions, the “Rarog” unit expressed respect for the soldiers and command of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade named after Yakov Handziuk. They emphasized the importance of understanding the weight of one’s words, arguing that public denigration of other units does not strengthen any brigade but rather weakens them all. They asserted that their reputation would not be built on belittling other military divisions or individuals.
The brigade also provided context about the soldier’s family, stating that her father has been fighting since 2014, her mother served as a paramedic from 2014 to 2024, her brother is a deputy commander in a landing assault brigade, and her sister commands a battalion in another assault brigade.
They concluded by reaffirming their commitment to protect their personnel from public harassment and emphasized that media presence does not exempt one from accountability for their words.
