Many of the eventual members of the Kraken Regiment were amongst those who gathered in the Kharkiv hideouts that had been stashed with arms in preparation for the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.

[21] In late September, it was reported that Nemichev claimed the unit had captured more than 15 Russian officers, handing them over to the Main Intelligence Directorate.

[24] In January 2023, the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally thanked the regiment for their work fighting enemies in the Soledar region.

[30] The commander of the regiment, Konstantin V. Nemichev, is a military and political figure in Kharkiv, member of the National Corps and veteran of the Azov Battalion, with many of his supporters joining the unit.

Commanders in the unit acknowledged that it is possible that far-right individuals are members in the regiment, but said such people are outnumbered by a diverse group with the intent to defend Ukraine.