| 22nd Mechanized Brigade (2000–2003, 2023–present) 66th Mechanized Division (1992–2000) 110th Guards Separate Training Center(1987–1992) 66th Guards Training Motor Rifle Division(1960–1987) 66th Guards Motor Rifle Division (1957–1960) 66th Guards Rifle Division (1943–1957) 293rd Rifle Division (1941–1943) | |
|---|---|
.svg) Sleeve Patch of the 22nd Brigade | |
| Active | 18 July 1941 – 2003[1] 4 January 2023 – present[2] |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Branch |  Ukrainian Ground Forces |
| Type |  Mechanized Infantry |
| Size | 2,000[2] |
| Part of | Operational Command West |
| Garrison/HQ | Chernivtsi,Chernivtsi Oblast |
| Motto | We pacify predators with a sword (Ukrainian:Хижих мечем мирим) |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |  Order of the Red Banner (removed) |
| Battle honours |
|
| Website | https://www.facebook.com/22ombr |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Major GeneralPavel Lagutin (1st Commander) |
| Insignia | |
| Old sleeve patch of the 22nd Mechanized Brigade (Pre February 2023) |  |
The22nd Mechanized Brigade "Mykolaiv" is a formation of theUkrainian Ground Forces. It traces its origins to the66th Guards Rifle Division, originally a formation of theRed Army and later of theSoviet Ground Forces.
The unit became the 22nd Mechanized Brigade in 2000 and was disbanded in 2003, before being reactivated in 2023 amid theRussian invasion of Ukraine.
By Order of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR № 034 from January 21, 1943, the293rd Rifle Division was reorganized into the 66th Guards Rifle Division.Major General Akim Yakshin became Division's new commander afterPavel Lagutin was promoted toExecutive officer of the21st Army. On February 7, 1943, most of the Divisions units were renamed.
On March 17, 1943, the 66th was assigned to6th Guards Rifle Corps,1st Guards Army,Southwestern Front,[4] from May 5, 1943, the 66th was assigned to5th Guards ArmySteppe Military District. From May 9, 1943, the 66th was with32nd Guards Rifle Corps5th Guards Army.[4] DuringBattle of Kursk andLower Dnepr strategic offensive operation the 66th was with 33rd Guards Rifle Corps5th Guards Army, later she was again assigned to 32nd Guards Corps. On September 23, 1943, the 66th was awarded with the honorable name "Poltava" by Supreme Commander. By the end of October the 66th was with53rd Army,2nd Ukrainian Front.On November 28, 1943,Major General Sergey Frolov became new Divisions commander, he would remain there until the end of the war. On November 30, 1943, the 66th was with 20th Guards Rifle Corps4th Guards Army.[4] On January 3, 1944 66th was assigned to 48th Rifle Corps53rd Army. While taking part inKorsun-Shevchenkovsky Offensive Operation, 66th was with 75th Rifle Corps, later she was assigned to 26th Guards Rifle Corps.
On March 1, 1943, 66th was with69th Army reserve ofStavka[4] nearShpolaCherkasy Oblast. On April 11, 1944 Division was relocated by rail toZaporizhia with1st Ukrainian Front.DuringLvov-Sandomierz Offensive 66th was with 95th Rifle Corps18th Army1st Ukrainian Front.[4] During theEast Carpathian Strategic Offensive Operation (theDnieper–Carpathian Offensive) the division was assigned to 18th Guards Rifle Corps18th Army4th Ukrainian Front.[4] From September 16, 1944, Division also took part inCarpathian-Uzhgorod Offensive.
On November 14, 1944, 66th with 18th Guards Rifle Corps was assigned to2nd Ukrainian Front where she took part inBattle of Budapest. On January 23, 1943 66th was with 104th Rifle Corps4th Guards Army3rd Ukrainian Front[4] and took part inBalaton Defensive Operation. On April 5, 1945, the Division was awardedOrder of the Red Banner bySupreme Soviet of the USSR. From April 15, 1945 66th was with 21st Guards Rifle Corps4th Guards Army and took part inVienna Offensive. Division finished combat operations inAustria on May 8, 1945
AfterVictory Day 66th with27th Army from June 3 to August 23, 1945, was relocating toUkraine intoCarpathian Military District. Its first base was inHaisyn,Vinnytsia Oblast. From October 1946 Division was assigned to38th Army inChernivtsi.[5][6] Division took part inHungarian Revolution of 1956. On June 15, 1957 66th Guards Rifle Division became 66th Guards Motor Rifle Division.
On September 15, 1960, 66th became 66th Guards Training Motor Rifle Division.[7] In 1987, 66th Guards Training Motor Rifle Division became 110th Guards Separate Training Center for junior specialists of motor rifle troops of theCarpathian Military District.[6] During theSoviet–Afghan War, they were stationed in the Samarkhel Military Base inJalalabad, as well asAsadabad, before 2 February 1989 where control was handed over to theAfghan Army’s 11th Motorized Infantry Division.[8][9]
The Training Center became under Ukrainian control after Ukrainedeclared independence from the Soviet Union.[10] On January 19, 1992, the Training Center along with all other units stationed in Ukraine, pledged their allegiance to Ukrainian people. In May 1992, the 110th GuardsDistricts Training Center was disbanded by the directive of theMinistry of Defense. On September 1, 1992, a new 66th Mechanized Division started forming on the basis of units from the disbanded Training Center.
A few units from the 17th Guards Motor Rifle Division were added to the Division, when the 17th was reduced to a Brigade. Division was a part of the 38th Army Corps (former38th Army) Western Operational Command. On October 26, 1999,President of UkraineLeonid Kuchma awarded the Division withBukovina title.[11] On October 30, 2000, all of the honorifics which the Division earned throughout her history were restored. Name of the Division became 66th Guards Bukovina, Poltava Red Banner Mechanized Division. Soon after, the Division was reformed into the 22nd Mechanized Brigade, all of the Divisionsregalia was lost. During 2003 only300th Mechanized Regiment remained, the rest of the units of the brigade were disbanded.[1]
In early 2023, during theRussian invasion of Ukraine, the brigade was reactivated and was armed with ex-Soviet weaponry, such asBMP-1 fighting vehicles,BM-21 rocket-launchers,2S1 and2S3 howitzers, andZU-23 anti-aircraft guns. In addition, it received modernized T-72 tanks, includingT-72AMT,T-72 Ural, and the Polish-suppliedPT-91 Twardy, as well as American-suppliedHMMWV vehicles.[2][12] In June 2023, some units of the brigade were seen taking part in thebattle of Bakhmut.[13]
The brigade was among the first to enter Russia'sKursk Oblast duringthe Ukrainian operation there.[14][15] In early January 2025, a unit of the 22nd Brigade published footage depicting the brigade's 1st Mechanized Battalion, in cooperation with other units, clearing the village ofNikolaevka [ru] in Kursk Oblast fromNorth Korean forces, reportedly killing at least nine of them.[16] In late January 2025, the 1st Battalion claimed to have killed a North Korean special forces company commander during combat nearMalaya Loknya.[17] On 5 May 2025, the brigade was awarded the honorary name "Mykolaiv" by a decree of PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy.[18]
200th Mechanized Regiment (Chernivtsi)
300th Mechanized Regiment (Chernivtsi)
301st Mechanized Regiment (Chernivtsi)
201st Armored Regiment (Storozhynets)
50th Separate Engineer Battalion (village Ruda,Khmelnytskyi Oblast)
28th Separate Signal Battalion (Chernivtsi)
70th Separate Maintenance Battalion (Storozhynets)
180th Separate Combat Service Support Battalion (Chernivtsi)
50th Separate Medical Battalion (Chernivtsi)
26th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (Chernivtsi)
15th Separate Chemical Battalion (Chernivtsi)
245th Separate Anti-Tank Battalion (Chernivtsi)
93rd Artillery Regiment
300th Anti-Aircraft Regiment
40th SeparateElectronic Warfare Company300th Mechanized Regiment (Chernivtsi) 201st Armored Regiment (Storozhynets)
2206th Separate Brigade Artillery Group (Chernivtsi) 26th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (Chernivtsi) 28th Separate Signal Battalion (Chernivtsi) 50th Separate Engineer Battalion (village Ruda,Khmelnytskyi Oblast) 180th Separate Combat Service Support Battalion (Chernivtsi) 70th Separate Maintenance Battalion (Storozhynets)
409th Separate Rifle Battalion (A4818)[23]| Ribbon | Award | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Order of the Red Banner | April 5, 1945 | Awarded bySupreme Soviet of the USSR. Removed after Brigade's dissolution. |
| Image | Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Guards unit | January 21, 1943 | Awarded by the order People's Commissariat of Defence of the USSR № 034.[25] Removed after Brigade's dissolution. |
| Poltava | September 23, 1943 | Awarded by Supreme Commander. Removed after Brigade's dissolution. | |
| Bukovina | October 26, 1999 | Awarded byPresident of Ukraine.[11] Removed after Brigade's dissolution. |
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1Unless stated otherwise, the brigade is mechanized. | |||||||||||||||||
