Mechanized Infantry (Ukraine)

Mechanized Infantry Forces
Механізовані війська
The Mechanized Infantry branch insignia
Active1992 - Present
Country Ukraine
Branch Ukrainian Ground Forces
TypeMechanized Infantry / Armored forces
Size31 Brigades
Anniversaries6 May, Day of the Mechanized Infantry
Insignia
Shoulder sleeve insignia

Mechanized Infantry Forces of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Механізовані війська, romanized: Mekhanizovani viiska) are the general basis and primary combat formations of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. They execute tasks of holding the occupied areas, lines and positions tasks of enemy's impacts repelling, of penetrating the enemy's defense lines, defeating the enemy forces, capturing the important areas, lines and objectives, Capture and expel enemy forces from territory and can operate in structure of marine and landing troops.[1]

The Mechanized Infantry Corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces are organized into mechanized infantry brigades and motorized infantry brigades that help perform the principal missions entrusted to the Ukrainian Ground Forces and the wider Armed Forces as a whole.

Lineage of the Ukrainian Infantry Corps

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When the Ukrainian Ground Forces had been formed on the basis of the Soviet Army in Ukraine in 1991-92, the majority of the new forces involved infantry (motor rifle/mechanized) divisions, a few of these with roots dating back to the Russian Civil War and the Ukrainian War of Independence and majority with Second World War battle honours. What are today the 24th, 28th, 30th, 72nd, 92nd and 108th Brigades, among others, were then infantry divisions, which would become infantry brigades in the 21st century and are the oldest in active service.

In 2000, when the National Guard was merged with the Internal Troops, a few National Guard of Ukraine units, including the current Presidential Brigade were given to the Ukrainian Ground Forces instead of undergoing reflagging as special police formations.

Following Euromaidan and in the midst of the first years of the Russo-Ukrainian War the heritage of many of the brigades was replaced, under the insistence of President Petro Poroshenko, with the identities of the infantry and cavalry of both the Ukrainian People's Republic and West Ukrainian People's Republic of the War of Independence and their short-lived armed forces, with some of the honorifics celebrating other heroes from Ukraine's past.

Battle honours won during the Second World War and Soviet orders and decorations were removed from unit titles and their colours. It was in these circumstances that the forces gradually expanded again with the raising of more brigade-level formations in the infantry, coupled with the Westernized training regimen and the modernization of the forces, which resulted in the debut of three more specialities for the Ukrainian infantry:

  • Mountain Infantry brigades,
  • Motorized Infantry brigades and
  • Rifle infantry brigades.

In the wake of the full Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a new type of infantry speciality was created to assist in the needs of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in this current period:

All of these brigades constitute the Infantry Corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

Organization of the Ukrainian mechanized infantry division until the 2000s

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Brigade Organization

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The Ukrainian Ground Forces Mechanized infantry brigades, which are the majority of those units of the Infantry Corps, are traditionally structured around either the tracked BMP-1 or BMP-2 IFV or a variant of the BTR wheeled family of APCs or IFVs (like the BTR-3 and BTR-4). These brigades are designed to be able to conduct combined arms maneuver warfare in an effort to take and hold territory from enemy forces in wartime operations. Doctrinally, the mechanized infantry brigades are built around three mechanized infantry battalions with a supporting motorized infantry battalion and tank battalion. The Russian invasion in 2022, opted the brigades to integrate militia battalions raised in the beginning of the invasion into brigade rifle infantry battalions as part of its Order of Battle, increasing their size further, with the latter addition in 2023 of an assault infantry battalion. [2] As such some of the brigades are already nearing division size in strength.

Motorized infantry formations, a much more younger type of infantry brigade that debuted in the 2010s after Euromaidan and are a legacy of the war in Donbas, are organized around the Humvee systems or similar vehicles, including those of Ukrainian manufacture. However, they do not have a tank battalion assigned to it. Their medium counterparts, the Jäger (Rifle) Infantry Brigades, are similarly organized but have a tank battalion, and can be either mechanized or motorized in its composition and armaments. Mechanized rifle infantry brigades may have an option for a motorized rifle battalion in its brigade Order of battle to put in line with the rest of the infantry brigades. Assault infantry brigades, a newer form of infantry brigade which was created in light of the 2022 invasion, are different, in which these are dedicated as the offensive assault forces in wartime operations against enemy formations and fortified positions in conjunction with other types of infantry brigades and the armor.

These brigades perform the same duties of combined arms operations as in the regular mechanized infantry brigades in both peacetime and war. Due to brigades being designed for independent operations in peace and war, these brigades have a complete set of organic supporting units including a headquarters and Headquarters company, a complete field artillery regiment, an anti-tank battalion, an anti-aircraft defense battalion, a sniper company, a recon company, an engineer battalion, material repair battalion, logistics battalion, electronic warfare company, radar company, CBRN defense company, signals company, medical company, a commandant's platoon and a military band under brigade Headquarters.

Since the start of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the size and composition of Ukraine's mechanized and motorized infantry brigades, as well as its rifle infantry and assault infantry brigades, have changed dramatically to include both more men - and women - as the Armed Forces of Ukraine constantly mobilize but also to include the different kinds of weapons and equipment being supplied by Ukraine's Western backers.

Ukraine's two mountain infantry brigades are organized in like manner as the mechanized infantry but are organized for mountain warfare operations in wartime as well as other operations as needed and are armed similarly.

Mechanized Infantry

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Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company

Mechanized Infantry Battalion (x3)

Battalions armed with variants of the BTR family (BTR-70, BTR-80, BTR-3, BTR-4) notionally will have 600 personnel mounted in 45 vehicles. Battalions armed with variants of the BMP family of vehicles (BMP-1, BMP-2) notionally will have 520 personnel mounted in 40 vehicles.[3]

Motorized Infantry Battalion

  • After the 2016 reforms, each mechanized infantry brigade received one motorized infantry battalion. But after the Russian invasion in 2022, mechanized brigades have seen more motorized battalions attached to themselves. The battalions are organized in like manner as their mechanized counterparts and are armed with Humvees or similar vehicles, many of them nationally produced in Ukraine.

Rifle Infantry Battalion

  • The 2022 invasion of Russia in Ukraine saw each mechanized infantry brigade add one rifle infantry battalion upon the urging of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine to the brigade Order of Battle. The battalions are organized in like manner as the motorized battalions under the brigade framework and are based on the civilian militia battalions that were raised to resist the Russian invasion of the country. These battalions may or may not have similar vehicles as the motorized battalions use.

Assault Infantry Battalion

  • Also another creation stemming from the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion, the assault infantry battalion under mechanized infantry brigades are designated and organized to serve as wartime shock and offensive forces slated to lead up the advance of brigade infantry and armored elements into enemy defensive positions, fortifications, trenches, etc. and attack enemy rear areas on the battlefield as may be assigned by brigade or operational command leadership. In peacetime, these would act as a strategic reserve force for the brigade.

A few of these brigades currently have that speciality type battalion and personnel of these battalions are given special training for offensive operations. These battalions are organized in like manner as the mechanized and motorized infantry battalions and are armed and supplied with vehicles similar to those of the mechanized.

Tank Battalion

T-64s and its variants have been the traditional standard tank of the Mechanized Infantry, however some armored battalions are armed with T-72s.

Field Artillery Regiment

  • Headquarters and Target Acquisition Battery
  • Recon Battery
  • Observer Battery
  • Self-propelled artillery Battalion (2x 2S1 Gvozdika)
  • Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)

Anti-Tank Battalion (under field artillery regiment, otherwise independent under direct brigade command)

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
  • 3x/4x Anti-Tank Batteries (towed/self-propelled/MPATS)

Anti-Aircraft and Missile Defense Artillery Battalion/Regiment

Sniper Company

Reconnaissance Company

Combat Engineer Battalion

Repair Battalion

Logistics Battalion

Electronic Warfare Company

Radar Company

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear Defense Company

Signals Company

Medical Company

Commandants Platoon – Commandant's Platoons are technically military police platoons as all personnel are trained as regimental police officers and staff by the Military Police of the Armed Forces.

Brigade Band – Brigade Bands are military bands made up of personnel of the brigade who are members of the Military Music Department. All musicians of the brigade must have proper musical proficiency and a music degree upon joining the band.

Rifle Infantry (Jäger)

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Motorized/Mechanized Rifle Infantry/Jäger Infantry Battalion (x3)

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • Rifle Infantry Company (Mechanized/Motorized) (x3 or x4)
  • Mortar Battery (6x 120mm)
  • Grenade Platoon (6x AGS-17)
  • Reconnaissance Platoon
  • Air Defense Platoon (9x Igla MANPADS)
  • Engineer and Sapper Platoon
  • Signals Platoon
  • Battalion Medical Center
  • Supply Company
    • Technical Support Platoon
    • Material Support Platoon

The battalions of the rifle infantry brigades are organized in like manner as the motorized infantry battalions under mechanized infantry brigades. However, both the 61st and 68th Brigades fields wheeled and/or tracked mechanized infantry vehicles. The 13th and 141st-144th (Reserve) Rifle Brigades are all motorized formations.

Motorized Infantry

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Motorized Infantry Battalion (x3)

The infantry battalions of motorized infantry brigades are organized in like manner as the motorized infantry battalions under mechanized infantry brigades.

Unlike the regular mechanized and mechanized rifle infantry brigades the motorized infantry originally did not have a tank battalion but a few brigades today like the 58th and 59th Brigades have a tank battalion activated in their ORBAT.

Professional holiday

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In 2019, 6 May was declared as the official Day of the Mechanized Infantry and thus serves as the official branch holiday of the Mechanized Infantry.

Brigades List

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Brigade Name Garrison / HQ Unit Designation Unit Number Years in Service Other Notes
Infantry Corps, Ukrainian Ground Forces
Regular Infantry Brigades
(Mechanized Infantry, Motorized Infantry, Assault Infantry, Jaeger (Ranger))
Separate Presidential Brigade Kyiv, Kyiv oblast ОПБр[4] A-0222[5] January 2, 1992 - today[4] Former 1st National Guard Infantry Regiment, reflagged as UGF unit 2000
1st Special Purpose Brigade N/A 1 ОБрСпП[6] A-4044[7] March 4, 2022 - today[7] (National Guard unit transferred to the UGF).[6]
3rd Assault Brigade 3 ОШБр[8] A-4638[9] November 1, 2022 - today[10] Raised by veterans of the former Azov Regiment (National Guard) who transferred to the AFU via Special Operations Forces and TDF Brigades
5th Assault Brigade 5 ОШБр[11] A-4010[12] May 10, 2022 - today[13]
10th Mountain Assault Brigade Kolomyia, Ivano-Frankivsk oblast 10 ОГШБр[14] A-4267[15] October 1, 2015 - today[16]
11th Motorized Brigade Chernihiv oblast 11 ОМПБр N/A October 1, 2017 - today
14th Mechanized Brigade Volodymyr, Volyn oblast 14 ОМБр A-1008 December 1, 2014 - today
15th Mechanized Brigade N/A 15 ОМБр A-0610 March 15, 2016 - today
21st Mechanized Brigade 21 ОМБр January 21, 2023 - today
22nd Mechanized Brigade Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast 22 ОМБр 1941-2003; early 2023 - today
23rd Mechanized Brigade Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast 23 ОМБр February 18, 2023 - today
24th Mechanized Brigade Yavoriv, Lviv oblast 24 ОМБр A-0998 February 18, 1992 - today
28th Mechanized Brigade Chornomorske, Odesa oblast 28 ОМБр A-0666 February 18, 1992 - today
30th Mechanized Brigade Novohrad-volynskyi, Zhytomyr oblast 30 ОМБр A-0409 December 6, 1991 - today
31st Mechanized Brigade Zhytomyr Oblast 31 ОМБр Spring 2023 - today
32nd Mechanized Brigade N/A 32 ОМБр February 9, 2023 - today
33rd Mechanized Brigade 33 ОМБр A-4447 April 1, 2016 - today
41st Mechanized Brigade 41 ОМБр March 16, 2023 - today
42nd Mechanized Brigade 42 ОМБр January 25, 2023 - today
43rd Mechanized Brigade Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast 43 ОМБр Spring 2023 - today
44th Mechanized Brigade N/A 44 ОМБр March 2, 2023 - today
47th Mechanized Brigade 47 ОМБр A-4699 April 26, 2022 - today
53rd Mechanized Brigade Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk oblast 53 ОМБр A-0536 April 30, 2014 - today
54th Mechanized Brigade Bakhmut, Donetsk oblast 54 ОМБр A-0693 December 1, 2014 - today
56th Motorized Brigade Mariupol, Donetsk oblast 56 ОМПБр A-0989 February 23, 2015 - today
57th Motorized Brigade Nova kakhovka, Kherson oblast 57 ОМПБр A-1736 October 30, 2014 - today
58th Motorized Brigade Konotop, Sumy oblast 58 ОМПБр A-1376 February 17, 2017 - today
59th Motorized Brigade Haisyn, Vinnytsia oblast 59 ОМПБр A-1619 December 8, 2014 - today
60th Mechanized Brigade N/A 60 ОМБр A-1962 November 10, 2015 - today
61st Mechanized Brigade 61 ОМБр A-3425
62nd Mechanized Brigade Berdychiv, Zhytomyr oblast 62 ОМБр A-4467 December 1, 2015 - today
63rd Mechanized Brigade Starokostyantyniv, Khmelnytskyi oblast 63 ОМБр A-3719 July 23, 2017 - today
65th Mechanized Brigade Starychi, Lviv oblast 65 ОМБр A-7013 April 1, 2022 - today
66th Mechanized Brigade N/A 66 ОМБр A-7014 April 18, 2022 - today
67th Mechanized Brigade 67 ОМБр A-4123 November, 2022 - April 14, 2024 Unit was disbanded after losing key position while fighting in Chasiv Yar in April of 2024[17]
68th Jager Brigade 68 ОЄБр[18] A-4056[19] April 8, 2022 - today[20]
72nd Mechanized Brigade Bila Tserkva, Kyiv oblast 72 ОМБр A-2167 February 18, 1992 - today
88th Mechanized Brigade N/A 88 ОМБр February 15, 2023 - today
92nd Assault Brigade Kluhyno-bashkyrivka, Kharkiv oblast 92 ОШБр A-0501 December 1, 1999 - today Formerly 48th Motor Rifle Division, Central Group of Forces, Czechoslovakia
93rd Mechanized Brigade Cherkaske, Dnipro oblast 93 ОМБр A-1302 January 1, 1992 - today
100th Mechanized Brigade Lutsk, Volyn Oblast 100 ОМБр June 26, 2018 - today Formerly the 100th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces
110th Mechanized Brigade N/A 110 ОМБр[21] A-4007[22] April 10, 2022 - today[21]
115th Mechanized Brigade Cherkasy oblast 115 ОМБр[23] A-4053[24] March 1, 2022 - today[23]
116th Mechanized Brigade N/A 116 ОМБр January 30, 2023 - today
117th Mechanized Brigade Sumy, Sumy Oblast 117 ОМБр February 2023 - today
118th Mechanized Brigade N/A 118 ОМБр Spring 2023 - today
128th Mountain Assault Brigade Mukachevo, Zakarpattia oblast 128 ОГШБр A-1556 January 19, 1992 - today
150th Mechanized Brigade Volyn oblast 150 ОМБр A-4935 October 10, 2023 - today
151st Mechanized Brigade Dnipro, Dnipro Oblast 151 ОМБр A-4941 2023-present
152nd Jager Brigade N/A 152 ОЄБр A-4948 2023-present Formerly a mechanized unit, reflagged as a Jager unit in August of 2024
153rd Mechanized Brigade N/A 153 ОМБр A-4955 Fall 2023 - today In April of 2024, the unit was reflagged as the 153rd Infantry Brigade. But was later reestablished as a mechanized unit in June of 2024.[25]
154th Mechanized Brigade N/A 154 ОМБр A-4962 Fall 2023 - today
Reservist Infantry
(Mechanized Infantry, Motorized Rifle Infantry)
141st Infantry Brigade N/A 141 ОСБр А-4808 2023-present
142nd Infantry Brigade 142 ОСБр А-4820 2023-present
143rd Infantry Brigade 143 ОСБр А-4844 2023-present
144th Infantry Brigade 144 ОСБр A-4828 2023-present
155th Mechanized Brigade Mala Lyubasha, Rivne Oblast 155 ОПБр A-5001 2024-present
156th Infantry Brigade N/A 156 ОПБр A-5003 2024-present
157th Infantry Brigade N/A 157 ОПБр A-5006 2024-present
158th Infantry Brigade N/A 158 ОПБр 2024-present
159th Infantry Brigade Mykolaiv Oblast 159 ОПБр 2024-present

Vehicular equipment

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The Mechanized Infantry are equipped with the following vehicles:

Under development:

  • BVMP-62, BVMP-64, BTMP-84 tracked heavy IFVs
  • BTRV-64 tracked heavy APC
  • BMPT-K-64 wheeled heavy APC

References

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  1. ^ The Army of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
  2. ^ Shugalii, E.P. (2016). "Механізований (Танковий) БаталЬйон В ЗагалЬновійсЬковому Бою" (PDF). Українська військово-медична академія.
  3. ^ "Military Balance+". IISS. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
  4. ^ a b "Окрема президентська бригада імені гетьмана Богдана Хмельницького". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  5. ^ Axe, David. "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Personal Brigade Is Fighting One Of the Ukraine War's Hardest Battles". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  6. ^ a b "Armed Forces Of Ukraine Hoist Ukrainian Flag In Village Near Balakliya". charter97.org. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
  7. ^ a b "Головна". Bohunbrigade (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  8. ^ "Special operations forces of Azov regiment become separate assault brigade of Ground Forces and fight in Bakhmut". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  9. ^ "3-я окрема штурмовова бригада | ЗОШБр | Офіційний сайт". ab3.army. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  10. ^ "Azov becomes Separate Assault Brigade with Army's Ground Forces". www.ukrinform.net. 26 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  11. ^ "5-й окремий штурмовий полк". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  12. ^ Watling, Tom (2022-09-16). "Ukrainian forces release rare footage of successful counter attack". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  13. ^ "Zelenskyy: Terror Must Be Responded With Force At All Levels: On Battlefield, With Sanctions, And Legally – Address". Eurasia Review. 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  14. ^ "The 10th Mountain Assault Brigade neutralized three dozen Russian invaders". Militarnyi. Retrieved 2023-01-30.
  15. ^ "У складі ЗСУ сформували нову гірсько-штурмову бригаду, - Міноборони" [As part of the Armed Forces formed a new mountain-assault brigade - Defense]. Den (in Ukrainian). 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  16. ^ "У Коломиї створили нову 10 гірсько-штурмову бригаду" [In Kolomyia created new Mountain-Assault Brigade]. 10brygada.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 21 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  17. ^ "Changes await Right Sector's 67th Brigade after losing positions in Chasiv Yar". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  18. ^ "New Zealand, Finland reaffirm need for continued international support to Ukraine". Reuters. 2022-11-29. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  19. ^ "Inside the war for Ukraine: Scenes from the frontlines". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  20. ^ "Factbox: What are Russia and Ukraine's positions on talks to end the war?". Reuters. 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  21. ^ a b "Russo-Ukraine War - 02 September 2022". www.globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  22. ^ "We must form a tank fist of freedom whose hits will not let tyranny stand up again – President Zelensky". www.ukrinform.net. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  23. ^ a b Haq, Julia Kesaieva,Tim Lister,Darya Tarasova,Sana Noor (2022-07-17). "Bloody battle for control rages in eastern Ukraine as Russia struggles to gain ground in Donetsk". CNN. Retrieved 2023-02-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ "Volodymyr Zelensky: I want to dedicate this address to those who have been bravely standing for 200 days, being the exact reason why Ukraine stands". odessa-journal.com. 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  25. ^ Axe, David. "Ukraine Is Mobilizing Tens Of Thousands Of New Troops. They Need A Lot More Armored Vehicles". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
  • forum.milua.org (for 62nd Bde details)
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