In April 2014, the situation in the city of Mariupol became significantly complicated. Supporters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic held systematic unauthorized rallies with attempts to seize government-held installations, including the seizure of the Mariupol City Hall building. From April 10 through 14, 2014, supporters of the DPR, led by the so-called "people's mayor," Denis Kuzmenko, and personnel from the armed wing of their security service made periodic visits to a checkpoint manned by military unit 3057 to persuade its commanding officers to submit to the leadership of the DPR and surrender their weapons for use by the separatists. After receiving a refusal, saboteurs blocked the checkpoint with tires, sandbags, and other objects. By the next morning, the remains of the barricade were removed with the assistance of the police.
On April 16, 2014, servicemen of the 17th Separate Battalion under the command of Serhiy Sovinskyi[3] repelled an attempt to capture the unit's HQ.[3] At 20:00, a group of female protestors started an unauthorized rally at the gate of the unit's HQ. This was meant to distract military personnel guarding the facility. The protests were followed by an armed attack at 20:30. Protesters started throwing Molotov cocktails and tearing down gates, demanding that the personnel hand over their weapons. Realizing the futility of their actions, they began to request reinforcements over the radio. Minibuses carrying armed men in uniforms and balaclavas arrived twenty minutes later. A total of about 200 people began attacking the facility with small-arms fire. Shelling was carried out along the entire perimeter from nearby houses.[4] The servicemen of the 17th Battalion at first responded with warning shots, then when these went unheeded, proceeded to return fire on DPR forces.[3] The 17th held their position until midnight, until they were reinforced by units of the Mariupol police.[4] At least 19 attackers were wounded, 3 of them fatally.[3]
Restructuring
In December 2014, the unit was reformed into the 18th Operational Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine, and during the next four months, its ranks were replenished with servicemen from the "Azov" and "Donbas" special forces battalions.
The brigade took part in the Siege of Mariupol.[12] After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the brigade took up the defense in the city of Mariupol. On 16 April 2022, Russian forces captured the base of the unit, in western Mariupol.[13] Together with other units, the brigade defended the city until May 2022, at which time the final blockade of the Ukrainian troops at the Azovstal plant was carried out. On May 3, the brigade commanders reported on the catastrophic situation at the plant and called on the military-political leadership of Ukraine and the International community to evacuate all troops from the territory of "Azovstal".[14]
