It was established in February–March 2014 as the public movement "Eastern Corps" in response to the
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine following the
Euromaidan, founded by Oleg Shiryaev, Igor Martynenko and Anatoliy Sydorenko to oppose separatism in
Kharkiv Oblast, and drawing force mainly from "
Patriot of Ukraine" and
FC Metalist Kharkiv fans. They participated in the fight against drugs in Kharkiv and on 10 August 2014, its personnel conducted a raid on a drug sales point in
Kharkiv, seizing narcotic substances and destroying them. On 6 October 2014, members of the "Eastern Corps" found a
BTR-80 with an installed
machine gun at the communal road maintenance enterprise No. 6 of
Kharkiv with a large number of separatist symbols, and according to the commander of the "Eastern Corps" Oleg Shiryaev, on the second floor of the enterprise they found a separatist armed installation, which was promptly seized. In November 2014, it became an official company of the
Special Tasks Patrol Police by the order of
Arsen Avakov. In January 2015, the soldiers of the company left for the
ATO zone. On 10 February 2015, the company took part in the
Shyrokyne standoff engaging in direct combat with
DPR separatists and captured a separatist artillery coordinator. Several soldiers of the company were wounded in the standoff. At the same time, some of the company's personnel continued to perform the functions of protecting public order and administrative buildings in
Kharkiv. On 27 April 2015, another 30 new soldiers joined the company including both male and female personnel. On 30 June 2015 the "Eastern Corps" company again went to
ATO zone and held positions on the line of contact with the enemy near
Hranitne, repulsing multiple attacks of separatist sabotage and reconnaissance groups The "Eastern Corps" company became the Rapid response company "East" in May 2018 under the command of Serhii Tamarin. It also operated its own medevac service and evacuated wounded and disabled from the combat zone of
Kharkiv Oblast. Three soldiers of the company (Maksym Serhiyevich Volyk, Oleksandr Klushin and Tarusin Bohdan) were killed in combat on 2 March 2022. On 16 March 2023, during the
2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive, they attacked Russian forces in
Mala Rohan. On 17 March 2022, they destroyed
MTLBs and
ATGM positions were destroyed and a large number of Russians were killed. Another soldier of the company (Dmytro Kupriyanov) was killed in action on 18 March 2022. Following the liberation of
Mala Rohan and
Vilkhivka, the company saw further engagements during the
Eastern Ukraine campaign. ==Public activities==