On their own soil: why fighters of the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade have an advantage over the enemy

The 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade continues to carry out combat missions for the security of the Mykolaiv region – on the front line, in the skies over the region and in frontline communities. To the MART TV channel about the brigade’s work on the Kinburn direction, interaction with local authorities, its own training grounds, EW units and the advantage of knowing the native terrain on May 20, 2026 spoke the head of the civil-military cooperation section of the brigade staff, Dmytro Prokoptsov.

According to him, the backbone of the unit are people from Mykolaiv and the major district centers of the oblast. That is why for many servicemen the service here is not an abstract defense of territory, but the protection of their own homes, families, familiar streets and communities.

“Our unit was formed from people from Mykolaiv and the largest district centers of the region. Most of the personnel were recruited from there. So it is like being at home: you know every patch of land, every centimeter, every lane. This was also confirmed in the battles for Bashtanka in 2022. The guys told how, knowing the area, every bush, they were able to stop the invaders. It was precisely thanks to this that the enemy was very successfully held back with small forces,” – Dmytro explained.

The brigade emphasizes: knowledge of the native land is not a secondary detail, but a practical combat advantage. The soldiers are familiar with access roads, lanes, shelterbelts, settlements and understand well that they are defending not just positions, but their loved ones.

“Everyone understands that this directly affects their families, surroundings, cities. In particular Mykolaiv, Berezanka, Pervomaisk. These are their homes. Defending your home is the most honorable thing. I understand that the guys who went to the east and fight in various directions also perform extremely important work. But when you serve closer to home, it brings them joy, and they are very satisfied,” – emphasized Dmytro Prokoptsov.

Dmytro Prokoptsov himself joined the ranks of the military from the first days of the full-scale invasion. He went from a soldier in a counter-sabotage company through reconnaissance to his current position. After being wounded he remained in the ranks and now is responsible for civil-military cooperation – ongoing communication between the brigade and the communities.

This is about two-way interaction: the military assist the civilian population, and local communities support the units that defend the region.

Dmytro Prokoptsov noted that the civil-military cooperation direction relies on NATO standards, but in Ukrainian conditions has its own specifics.

“Civil-military cooperation is a very broad topic. These are NATO standards that were introduced after military operations in unfamiliar territories, in particular in Afghanistan and Iraq. There they realized that without communication and interaction with local residents nothing would work, since many issues arose related to civilians that the military could not effectively resolve on their own. That is when this direction was created. Our specifics are different because, again, we are at home. And even when we go to Donetsk, Kharkiv or Zaporizhzhia oblasts, we still feel that it is our home.”

Separate attention – to the Kutsurub community, which effectively lives under constant Russian shelling. Despite the danger, people there continue to work, sow, harvest and sustain community life.

According to the serviceman, an important role in this is played by the EW unit of the 123rd Brigade, which was created from scratch. It now provides more than 80% of successful suppressions of enemy drones.

“For farmers and local residents this is very important. They can continue their activities and communicate with us directly. For any work, including covering civilian equipment, they turn to us to clarify whether the sky is ‘clear’. And so, thank God, we do not have so many casualties and losses among the civilian population, which is also very important. This is people’s trust – they know that we cover them, so they can move and work,” – Dmytro said.

The Kinburn direction remains one of the toughest in the south. Combat work there is complicated by a water obstacle, strong winds, forests and the specifics of the terrain. However, the brigade’s units, including UAV operators, have already studied the area well and work taking all its features into account.

For the servicemen every destroyed enemy target on this direction has special significance, because behind them is their native Mykolaiv.

“This is really very hard work. I admire our guys who fly there and deliver fire strikes on the enemy. So the skills they gained here are extremely important. Each direction has its own specifics: somewhere there are spoil heaps, somewhere forests and other terrain features. And this direction is unique in its own way. So the experience the guys gained here is very important,” – said Dmytro.

Also, the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade actively cooperates with local authorities. According to the head of the CMC section, this interaction has long ceased to be formal. The city council and the regional administration understand that investing in the region’s security directly affects the protection of people.

“This symbiosis of the authorities’ help and us: by means of EW, air defense and so on. I believe that this is effective. And it is right, and this is exactly why the Territorial Defense was created. That is, it is its DNA. It seems to me that it works for us and should continue to work,” , – emphasized Prokoptsov.

With the support of the authorities, the brigade created its own training grounds – for shooting, FPV-drone flights and work with ground robotic complexes. They are used not only by the servicemen of the 123rd Brigade, but also by other units, including DFTG.

“We recently had training with guys from DFTG. I understand that on their base they plan to create some units. They train almost daily together with DFTG units and the national resistance. We also prepare other units – we have attached forces that undergo training. That is, we train our other units too. A huge amount of work is carried out every day,” – Dmytro also reported.

For the fighters of the 123rd Brigade, serving where they grew up means daily protecting familiar streets, cities, communities and people they lived next to before the war. This closeness to the native land, according to Dmytro Prokoptsov, makes the service special.

“I believe that we are a family. If everything is well in the family, then everyone supports and loves one another. We love Mykolaiv, and I think Mykolaiv loves us. Just as I said about other guys who serve here. You can’t say that only the 123rd Brigade is here, because other units also operate. It’s just that we are here and can see each other more often. It is a great happiness to come to your city and tell something to people, relatives, friends. They listen. I tell many about our successes in the Kutsurub community regarding suppressions. They say: ‘You are so great, we didn’t even know.’ So, I think we are in good standing in the city,” Dmytro Prokoptsov emphasized that there is a bond between the brigade and the city based on mutual support.

Reminder, earlier we wrote:

• MLRS and Molniya drones struck Ochakiv and Kutsurub communities: 7 houses and 2 cars damaged
• After demining in Halytsynivka, the first pines and maples were planted on the burn sites
• Koblevo is being fortified against amphibious landings: concrete and wire on the beach, anti-tank mines in the sea, access to the sea closed
• Kim hopes for the de-occupation of Kinburn through negotiations: without it, Mykolaiv’s ports will not revive
• FPV, ‘Molniya’ and ‘Shahed’: what the Mykolaiv region experienced in the past day