Oleh Chernysh, BBC News Ukraine
Before the war, this village in the Zaporizhzhia region, where around 3,000 people lived in its best times, was known mainly for its penitentiary for repeat offenders. It was also notable for a fierce battle between Soviet and German artillerymen that took place here in September 1943 during World War II.
According to Soviet historiography, Red Army fighters, left without shells, were able to stop the enemy’s tank advance with only grenades. The history of Russia’s modern war against Ukraine seems poised to surpass this heroic episode.
It’s not just that this is one of many Ukrainian settlements that Russian command has declared taken “on credit.”
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of Mala Tokmachka on November 16, 2025, although no photo or video evidence of a stable Russian military presence in the village was provided. For example, the Russians similarly claimed to have “taken” the towns of Kupiansk, Borova, Pokrovsk, and Myrnohrad “on credit.”
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov even repeatedly emphasized the importance of occupying Mala Tokmachka and publicly congratulated the servicemen of the 42nd Guards Motor Rifle Division on this “achievement.”
“You have made a significant step towards Victory and the achievement of the objectives of the special military operation. There is no doubt that further successes will follow,” stated the Russian Ministry of Defense’s congratulatory message on December 17, 2025.
It cannot be said that the Russians did not try to actually capture this village. The front line runs near the outskirts of Mala Tokmachka, and Russian troops conduct assaults on this settlement almost weekly.
Several attacks in late October 2025 were notable, when the Russians attempted to break through the defense with mechanized assaults and even managed to reach the village center.
Subsequently, Ukrainian fighters drove them out of the positions. A small “gray zone” remained only on the southern outskirts of the village, according to the online map of the analytical project DeepState.
However, the command of the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which has held Mala Tokmachka for several years, denies not only enemy control but even the existence of a “gray zone” on the village’s outskirts.
“There is no enemy in Mala Tokmachka itself, and even if they enter for a short period, our Defense Forces quickly drive them out by various methods. We either hit them with drones or we have clearance groups that reach the outskirts of Mala Tokmachka, because that’s where a small number of personnel can approach and clear those buildings where they’re hiding,” said Dmytro Pelykh, head of the communication department of the 118th Detached Mechanized Brigade, to BBC News Ukraine.
Moreover, according to the commander of the brigade with the call sign “Mujahid,” the “gray zone” begins not even on the outskirts of Mala Tokmachka, but 9-10 km further south near the village of Verbove.
The commander also said, citing “insider information,” that persistent attempts by the Russian army to take the village have already resulted in the loss of about 2,000 Russian soldiers.
The BBC cannot verify this information.
According to the daily statistics of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in recent weeks Russia has somewhat shifted the focus of its attacks from directly on Mala Tokmachka to the neighboring villages of Bilohirya and Luhivske.
The Village as a Meme
The persistent and unsuccessful attempts by the Russians to take Mala Tokmachka, which they declared “theirs” half a year ago, have led to numerous memes and jokes about this village.
In social networks, statements by Russian propagandists are edited, who over the year have been claiming either the capture of Mala Tokmachka, battles near it, or its capture again. And so on in circles.
It is depicted as an impregnable fortress, the world’s most fortified bastion, as well as the main “obstacle” for the Russian army to celebrate victory over NATO, the capture of Kyiv, or Berlin.
“As Bismarck said: whoever owns Mala Tokmachka owns the world,” is one example of such jokes.
The effect was amplified by the fact that Russian military bloggers and experts in their posts and broadcasts on federal Russian channels have been consistently emphasizing that Mala Tokmachka is “almost captured” and “about to fall.”
In reality, there are no signs that the Russian army is close to capturing this village.
The Ukrainian authorities, on their part, emphasize the “record-breaking duration” of the defense of Mala Tokmachka.
Thus, the state project United24 posted a message comparing the most famous city battles in history.
In it, the “siege of Mala Tokmachka” lasting 1500 days took first place, surpassing the siege of Gibraltar (the battle for this city during the Anglo-Spanish war at the end of the 18th century lasted 1320 days) and the siege of Carthage (the decisive battle of the Third Punic War between the Roman Empire and Carthage, which lasted 1100 days).
Moreover, on May 24, it became known that the Ukrainian Book of Records awarded the command of the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade for “setting a national record for continuous defense of the area of the village of Mala Tokmachka.”
The brigade itself says that they did not initiate this award and were pleasantly surprised by it.
“We did not know about this event or the receipt of this certificate until it was presented. The brigade didn’t submit any applications to the Records Book. We don’t fight for records; what’s more important to us is that the enemy doesn’t advance further and doesn’t take even a meter of Ukrainian land from us,” said press officer Dmytro Pelykh.
Why Mala Tokmachka is Important
However, if we put jokes aside, this small but elongated village in Zaporizhzhia (about 12 km long, but with a total area of only 8 square km) actually has great tactical significance for the further development of hostilities in this direction.
The fact is, it is essentially the “gateway” to the main line of defense in the Zaporizhzhia direction – the city of Orikhiv. Mala Tokmachka is located just 3 km from the city limits on the road towards the occupied settlement of Polohy.
Parallel to the road, the Konka River also flows, and at the northern outskirts of the village lies a crossroads of roads from surrounding settlements.
The village itself, despite being almost completely destroyed over years of fighting, still has enough buildings that can be used as shelters and combat positions. These include the same structures as the railway station, correctional colony, and brick factory.
Frontal assaults towards the village over open terrain did not give the Russians the desired effect.
Now they are trying to bypass Mala Tokmachka from the eastern flank. Here they are pressing on nearby villages Bilohirya and Luhivske, and trying to reach the road Hulyaipole – Orikhiv, which runs further north.
Thus, on May 15, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of the village of Charivne, which is 11 km northeast of Mala Tokmachka.
Ukrainian sources do not confirm the occupation of this settlement, and on the DeepState map, it is marked as a “gray zone,” meaning neither side has stable control over it.
The command of the 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade does not rule out that due to media exposure, the Kremlin will try at all costs to seize Mala Tokmachka and intensify assaults in this direction.
“Over the past year and a half, the enemy in this direction has resorted to absolutely diverse actions: bombing our positions with cluster munitions, significantly increasing the number of drones, conducting mechanized assaults with 26 units of equipment, including heavily armored vehicles, and trying to infiltrate with small assault groups using adverse weather conditions, but Mala Tokmachka is still holding,” emphasizes brigade communication officer Dmytro Pelykh.
And adds: “This primarily speaks about our fighters – the ‘cyborgs’ of Mala Tokmachka, who are reliably holding the defense and ready for any development.”
Collage on the cover: social media
