In early February, it became known that the Kherson division of the Ukrainian People's Army under the command of Ataman Nikifor Grigoriev intended to switch to the side of the Red Army. Grigoriev broke off relations with the Petliura command due to the fact that the Directorate of Ukraine agreed with the Entente expansion of the occupation zone, after which the fighters of his division, formed from the rebel detachments of the Kherson region, left their homes and went north. On January 25, the occupation troops landed in Mykolaiv, on January 29–30. Having entered into armed clashes with them against the orders of the Directory, Grigoriev actually placed himself outside the army of the UPR. Unable to independently resist the Entente offensive, he decided to go over to the side of the Red Army.