The unit was eventually deployed to the War in Donbass and played an infamous role in the Battle of Ilovaisk. The battle began on 7 August 2014 and Ukraine's forces entered the city of Ilovaisk on 18 August 2014. The Prykarpattya Battalion did not take part in direct assault but was charged with holding the flank of the main component of Ukraine's troops. However, about 2,000 separatist reinforcements backed by Russian forces crossed from the Russian border to encircle Ukraine's troops in Ilvaisk. Almost all of the unit's 500 troops abandoned their post once they started coming under Russian fire leaving Russian forces free to encircle Ukrainian troops. Several soldiers later regrouped with other units, but it is reported that 326 soldiers of the battalion fled the war zone along with their equipment. The commanders of the battalion are facing treason and desertion charges in the aftermath of the incident.