How Charter Stopped The Occupiers In Kupyansk
- 17.01.2026, 13:38
The legendary unit has become a symbol of Ukraine's resilience.
Ukrainian grain billionaire Vsevolod Kozhemyako radically changed his life after the outbreak of a full-scale war. The former businessman and marathon runner traded his business suit for a military uniform and founded one of Ukraine's most effective fighting formations, the 13th Charter Brigade, now called the "billionaire's brigade."
In a dimly lit hotel in Kharkiv, Kozhemyako, dressed in full military ammunition, played Beethoven's "For Elise" on a grand piano, reflecting on the new reality in a conversation with The Telegraph.
"Yes, I am a businessman," he said. - And now I'm the commander of a military unit in Ukraine."
Business-funded volunteers
"Charter" was established in March 2022 as a volunteer unit of civilians, funded by Kozhemyak's personal funds and the support of wealthy donors.
The unit first operated as part of the territorial defense of the Kharkiv region, and then turned into an elite assault formation of the National Guard of Ukraine.
Military analysts estimate that the brigade's strength ranges from 1,500 to 5,000 fighters. It specializes in rapid counterattacks, urban combat and drone operations.
"As soon as wartime is over, we will become civilians again," Kozhemyako said nearly four years ago.
The Ukrainian flag over Kupyansk
This week, Charter units raised the Ukrainian flag over Kupyansk, a town that has been under crushing pressure from Russian "meat grinder" attacks for months. Until recently, the town was considered almost lost, but Ukrainian forces said they had almost completely dislodged Russian troops.
According to intelligence reports, the ratio of casualties in the fighting for Kupyansk was 1 to 27 - there were 27 Russian soldiers for every Ukrainian soldier.
Colonel Igor Obolensky called this success an example of a new approach to warfare:
"The Kupyansk operation proves that thanks to planning, trained commanders and staffs, and high-quality training of units - all of which we call the Charter method - it is possible to successfully stop and destroy the enemy."
Precise Strike Tactics
In the operation, Charter fighters worked in concert with less experienced units to form a layered defense. Elite units were saved for decisive strikes, advancing through forests and launching surprise attacks in the city.
The main targets were railroad junctions, river approaches and narrow city passages, which became zones of concentrated defeat for Russian troops. Operations relied on reconnaissance, mobility and coordination with artillery and drones.
The success near Kupyansk became especially important amid political pressure on Kiev. US President Donald Trump said this week that he believes it is Vladimir Zelensky who is the main obstacle to a peace agreement, not Vladimir Putin.
These words have raised the stakes for Ukraine, forcing Kiev to demonstrate real successes on the battlefield. Military expert Gamish de Bretton-Gordon noted:
"Ukraine's recent successes at Kupyansk are crucial to show: it is not capitulating. It is Ukraine that is now paving the way, not Russia."
Despite the successes, Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages, forced to move "firefighting" units such as Charter between the hottest parts of the front. This makes each victory all the more important.