| 808th Pontoon-Bridge Brigade | |
|---|---|
| 808-ма Понтонно-мостова бригада | |
 | |
| Founded | 1955 (1955) |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Branch |  Ukrainian Ground Forces |
| Type | Brigade |
| Role | Pontoon |
| Part of | Support Forces Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Colonel Yevhen Huska |
The808th Pontoon-Bridge Brigade (MUN A3955) is abrigade level military unit of the Ukrainian Support Forces, part of theArmed Forces of Ukraine. It was established in 1955 as part of theSoviet military presence inRomania. It is headquartered inBilhorod-Dnistrovskyi. It has seen combat during both, theWar in Donbass and theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
In 1955, it was established as a pontoon battalion in theRomanian city ofBrăila,remaining stationed in Romania until redeployment toBilhorod-Dnistrovskyi in 1958. In 1976, it became the 644th Separate Pontoon Bridge Battalion and later in 1980, the 194th Pontoon-Bridge Regiment becoming part of the14th Guards Combined Arms Army.[1]
In 1992 , following theDissolution of the Soviet Union, it became part of theArmed Forces of Ukraine. On 1 December 1994, it became the 23rd Pontoon-Bridge Brigade of theOperational Command South.[2] On 1 December 1998, it was awarded the transitional flag of the Odessa Regional State Administration and won the title of "The Best Military Unit of the Odessa Military District." In the summer of 2000, it built a pontoon crossing across theSouthern Bug inMykolaiv Oblast, temporarily replacing the later repaired Varvarivskyi Bridge.[3] In October 2002, the brigade was reorganized into the 808th Pontoon-Bridge Regiment. It was also engaged in the tasks of regular road clearance during the winter season inOdessa Oblast, in February 2014, it cleared 400 kilometers of roads in theBilhorod-Dniester Raion and "freed" 11 vehicles using BAT-2 vehicles, moreover,BAT-2,GAZ-66 andKAMAZ-43105 of the regiment further cleared 200 kilometers, elsewhere in theOdessa Oblast.[4][5] It was also involved in ordinance disposal.
Following the start of theWar in Donbass, it was deployed to theATO zone.[6] In 2015, the regiment participated in tactical exercises withUkrainian Navy coastal defense artillery units on the Dniester Estuary.[7] On 20 January 2017, chief of the Engineering Troops of the Armed Forces of Ukraine visited its headquarters after it was recognized as the best unit of the Engineering Troops of Ukraine in 2016. It was announced that the regiment will be expanded 1.5 times in terms of personnel.[8] On 7 September 2017, a soldier of the regiment (Artur Anatolyevich Revitsky) was killed in combat in Donbass. On 26 May 2020, 40 pieces of equipment and 50+ personnel of the regiment undertook the restoration of a bridge overKakhovka Reservoir bay inDnipropetrovsk Oblast.[9][10]
Following theRussian invasion of Ukraine, it saw direct action. In October 2022, some captured personnel of the regiment were returned from Russian captivity.[11] On 6 December 2022, the Regiment was awarded the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery".[12] In 2024, it was expanded to a brigade and on 1 October 2024, it was awarded the honorary name "Dniester".[13][14] It was also considered to be a candidate for pontoon crossings during the2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive.[15] On 28 September 2024, the deputy brigade commander, Glozhyk Volodymyr was killed in combat inMakiivka.[16]
| Model | Image | Origin | Type | Number | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | |||||
| KamAZ-43105 |  |  Soviet Union | Truck | [4] | |
| GAZ-66 |  | Soviet Union | Truck | [4] | |
| KrAZ-255 |  | Soviet Union | Truck | [15] | |
| BAT-2 |  | Soviet Union | Military engineering vehicle | [4] | |
| IMR-2 |  | Soviet Union | HeavyCombat engineering vehicle | ||