| Mechanized Infantry Forces | |
|---|---|
| Механізовані війська | |
The Mechanized Infantry branch insignia | |
| Active | 1992 - Present |
| Country | |
| Branch | |
| Type | Mechanized Infantry /Armored forces |
| Size | 67 Brigades |
| Anniversaries | 6 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 theUkrainian 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 theUkrainian Ground Forces and the wider Armed Forces as a whole.
When theUkrainian Ground Forces had been formed on the basis of theSoviet Army inUkraine in 1991-92, the majority of the new forces involved infantry (motor rifle/mechanized) divisions, a few of these with roots dating back to theRussian Civil War and theUkrainian War of Independence and majority withSecond World Warbattle 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 fewNational Guard of Ukraine units, including the current Presidential Brigade were given to theUkrainian Ground Forces instead of undergoing reflagging as special police formations.
FollowingEuromaidan and in the midst of the first years of theRusso-Ukrainian War the heritage of many of the brigades was replaced, under the insistence of PresidentPetro Poroshenko, with the identities of the infantry and cavalry of both theUkrainian People's Republic andWest Ukrainian People's Republic of theWar of Independence and their short-lived armed forces, with some of the honorifics celebrating other heroes from Ukraine's past.
Battle honours won during theSecond World War andSoviet 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 theinfantry, 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:
In the wake of the fullRussian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a new type of infantry speciality was created to assist in the needs of theUkrainian Ground Forces in this current period:
All of these brigades constitute theInfantryCorps of theUkrainian Ground Forces.
TheUkrainian 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 itsOrder 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 afterEuromaidan and are a legacy of the war in Donbas, are organized around theHumvee systems or similar vehicles, including those of Ukrainian manufacture. However, they do not have a tank battalion assigned to it. Their medium counterparts, theJäger (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 brigadeOrder 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 theoffensive 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, ananti-tank battalion, ananti-aircraft defense battalion, asniper company, arecon company, anengineer battalion, material repair battalion,logistics battalion,electronic warfare company, radar company,CBRN defense company,signals company,medical company, acommandant's platoon and amilitary band under brigade Headquarters.
Since the start of the2022 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 theArmed 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 twomountain infantry brigades are organized in like manner as the mechanized infantry but are organized formountain warfare operations in wartime as well as other operations as needed and are armed similarly.
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]
T-64s and its variants have been the traditional standard tank of the Mechanized Infantry, however some armored battalions are armed with T-72s.
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 asregimental police officers and staff by theMilitary Police of the Armed Forces.
Brigade Band – Brigade Bands aremilitary 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.
Motorized/Mechanized Rifle Infantry/Jäger Infantry Battalion (x3)
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 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 atank battalion activated in theirORBAT.
In 2019, 6 May was declared as the officialDay of the Mechanized Infantry and thus serves as the official branch holiday of the Mechanized Infantry.
| 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)) | |||||
| Kyiv,Kyiv Oblast | ОПБр[4] | A-0222[5] | January 2, 1992 - present[4] | Former 1st National Guard Infantry Regiment, reflagged as UGF unit 2000. | |
| Honcharivske,Chernihiv Oblast | 1 ОВМБр | A-1815[6] | August 24, 1997 - present | Formerly the 1st Tank Brigade, redesignated in 2025. | |
| Kyiv,Kyiv Oblast | 3 ОШБр[7] | A-4638[8] | November 1, 2022 - present[9] | Raised by veterans of the formerAzov Regiment (National Guard) who transferred to the AFU via Special Operations Forces and TDF Brigades. | |
| Yarmolyntsi,Khmelnytsky Oblast | 3 ОВМБр[10] | A-2573[11] | January 1, 2016 - present | Formerly the 3rd Tank Brigade, redesignated in 2025.[12] | |
| Honcharivske,Chernihiv Oblast | 4 ОВМБр | A-7015 | December 6, 2017 – present | Formerly the 4th Tank Brigade, redesignated in 2025.[13] | |
| N/A | 5 ОШБр[14] | A-4010[15] | May 10, 2022 - present[16] | ||
| Kamianka-Buzka,Lviv Oblast | 5 ОВМБр[17] | A-4594[15] | 2016 - 2022, January 10, 2023 - present[16] | Formerly the 5th Tank Brigade, redesignated in 2024. | |
| Kolomyia,Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast | 10 ОГШБр[18] | A-4267[19] | October 1, 2015 - present[20] | ||
| 11th Motorized Brigade | Chernihiv Oblast | October 1, 2017 - December 31, 2019 | |||
| Honcharivske,Chernihiv Oblast | 12 ОВМБр | A-0932 | December 30, 2019 - present | Formerly the 12th Separate Tank Battalion, redesignated in 2025. | |
| N/A | October 1, 2023 - 2023 | ||||
| Volodymyr,Volyn Oblast | 14 ОМБр | A-1008 | December 1, 2014 - present | ||
| N/A | 15 ОМБр | A-0610 | March 15, 2016 - December 31, 2019 | ||
| Kryvyi Rih,Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 17 ОВМБр | A-3283 | February 1, 1992 - present | Formerly the 17th Tank Brigade, redesignated in 2024. | |
| Podolsk,Odesa Oblast | 21 ОМБр | A-4689 | January 21, 2023 - present | ||
| Chernivtsi,Chernivtsi Oblast | 22 ОМБр | A-4718 | 1941-2003, January 4, 2023 - present | ||
| Pokrovsk,Donetsk Oblast | 23 ОМБр | A-4741 | February 18, 2023 - present | ||
| Yavoriv,Lviv Oblast | 24 ОМБр | A-0998 | February 18, 1992 - present | ||
| Chornomorske,Odesa Oblast | 28 ОМБр | A-0666 | February 18, 1992 - present | ||
| N/A | 29 ОВМБр | A-5081 | 2025 - present | Formerly the 29th Separate Tank Battalion, redesignated in 2025. | |
| Zviahel,Zhytomyr Oblast | 30 ОМБр | A-0409 | December 6, 1991 - present | ||
| Zvyahel,Zhytomyr Oblast | 31 ОМБр | A-4773 | February 17, 2023 - present | ||
| Ozerna, Kyiv Oblast | 32 ОМБр | A-4784 | February 9, 2023 - present | ||
| Pavlohrad,Dnipro Oblast | 33 ОМБр | A-4447 | April 1, 2016 - present | ||
| Odesa,Odesa Oblast | 41 ОМБр | A-4576 | March 16, 2023 - present | ||
| Chortkiv,Ternopil Oblast | 42 ОМБр | A-4667 | January 25, 2023 - present | ||
| Dnipro,Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 43 ОМБр | A-4698 | March 1, 2023 - present | ||
| Nizhyn,Chernihiv Oblast | 44 ОМБр | A-4723 | March 2, 2023 - present | ||
| Hostomel,Kyiv Oblast | 47 ОМБр | A-4699 | April 26, 2022 - present | ||
| 51 ОМБр | 2004 - 2014 | ||||
| Sievierodonetsk,Luhansk Oblast | 53 ОМБр | A-0536 | April 30, 2014 - present | ||
| Bakhmut,Donetsk Oblast | 54 ОМБр | A-0693 | December 1, 2014 - present | ||
| Mariupol,Donetsk Oblast | 56 ОМПБр | A-0989 | February 23, 2015 - present | ||
| Nova kakhovka,Kherson Oblast | 57 ОМПБр | A-1736 | October 30, 2014 - present | ||
| Konotop,Sumy Oblast | 58 ОМПБр | A-1376 | February 17, 2017 - present | ||
| Haisyn,Vinnytsia Oblast | 59 ОМПБр | A-1619 | December 8, 2014 - present | ||
| Cherkaske,Dnipro Oblast | 60 ОМБр | A-1962 | November 10, 2015 - present | ||
| Chornomorske,Odesa Oblast | 61 ОМБр | A-3425 | November 10, 2015 - present | ||
| Berdychiv,Zhytomyr Oblast | 62 ОМБр | A-4467 | December 1, 2000 - December, 2022 | ||
| Starokostyantyniv,Khmelnytskyi Oblast | 63 ОМБр | A-3719 | July 23, 2017 - present | ||
| Starychi,Lviv Oblast | 65 ОМБр | A-7013 | April 1, 2022 - present | ||
| Oster,Chernihiv Oblast | 66 ОМБр | A-7014 | April 18, 2022 - present | ||
| Dnipro,Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 67 ОМБр | A-4123 | November 1, 2022 - present | Unit was partially disbanded after losing key position while fighting in Chasiv Yar in April of 2024,[21] but re-formed with new leadership.[citation needed] | |
| N/A | 68 ОЄБр[22] | A-4056[23] | April 8, 2022 - present[24] | ||
| Bila Tserkva,Kyiv Oblast | 72 ОМБр | A-2167 | February 18, 1992 - present | ||
| N/A | 88 ОМБр | February 15, 2023 - 2023 | |||
| Kluhyno-bashkyrivka,Kharkiv Oblast | 92 ОШБр | A-0501 | December 2, 1999 - present | Formerly 48th Motor Rifle Division, Central Group of Forces, Czechoslovakia. | |
| Cherkaske,Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 93 ОМБр | A-1302 | January 1, 1992 - present | ||
| Lutsk,Volyn Oblast | 100 ОМБр | A-7028 | June 26, 2018 - present | Formerly the 100th Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces. | |
| Cherkasy,Cherkasy Oblast | 110 ОМБр[25] | A-4007[26] | April 10, 2022 - present[25] | ||
| Hlobyne,Poltava Oblast | 115 ОМБр[27] | A-4053[28] | March 1, 2022 - present[27] | ||
| Kremenchuk,Poltava Oblast | 116 ОМБр | A-4722 | January 30, 2023 - present | ||
| Sumy,Sumy Oblast | 117 ОМБр | A-4674 | January 31, 2023 - present | ||
| Holovach,Poltava Oblast | 118 ОМБр | A-4712 | February 15, 2023 - present | ||
| Lviv,Lviv Oblast | 125 ОБр ТрО | A-7831 | January 19, 1992 - present | Formerly Territorial Defence Forces unit. | |
| Kharkiv,Kharkiv Oblast | 127 ОБр ТрО | A-7383 | January 19, 1992 - present | Formerly Territorial Defence Forces unit. | |
| Mukachevo,Zakarpattia Oblast | 128 ОГШБр | A-1556 | January 19, 1992 - present | ||
| Dnipro,Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 128 ОБр ТрО | A-7384 | January 19, 1992 - present | Formerly Territorial Defence Forces unit. | |
| Kryvyi Rih,Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 129 ОБр ТрО | A-4067 | February 2, 2022 - present | Formerly Territorial Defence Forces unit. | |
| Rivne Oblast | 141 ОСБр | А-4808 | February 15, 2023 - present | ||
| Krasnohrad,Kharkiv Oblast | 142 ОСБр | А-4820 | February 15, 2023 - present | ||
| Ladynka,Chernihiv Oblast | 143 ОСБр | А-4844 | February 15, 2023 - present | ||
| N/A | 144 ОСБр | A-4828 | February 22, 2023 - present | ||
| Volyn Oblast | 150 ОМБр | A-4935 | October 10, 2023 - January 1, 2025 | Redesignated as 40th Coastal Defense Brigade in 2025. Transferred toUkrainian Marine Corps. | |
| Dnipro,Dnipropetrovsk Oblast | 151 ОМБр | A-4941 | August 29, 2023 - present | ||
| Pyriatyn,Poltava Oblast | 152 ОЄБр | A-4948 | September 13, 2023 - present | Formerly a mechanized unit, reflagged as a Jager unit in August of 2024. | |
| N/A | 153 ОМБр | A-4955 | August 29, 2023 - present | 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.[29] | |
| N/A | 154 ОМБр | A-4962 | September 13, 2023 - present | ||
| Mala Lyubasha, Rivne Oblast | 155 ОМБр | A-5001 | March 1, 2024 - present | ||
| Uzhhorod,Zakarpattia Oblast | 156 ОМБр | A-5003 | August 12, 2024 - present | ||
| N/A | 157 ОМБр | A-5006 | 2024 - present | ||
| Chernihiv,Chernihiv Oblast | 158 ОМБр | A-5002 | February 2, 2024 - present | ||
| Pervomaisk,Mykolaiv Oblast | 159 ОМБр | A-5000 | March 12, 2024 - present | ||
| Starychi,Lviv Oblast | 160 ОМБр | A-4977 | June 25, 2024 - present | ||
| N/A | 161 ОМБр | 2024 - 2025 | |||
| Korosten,Zhytomyr Oblast | 162 ОМБр | A-4990 | June 21, 2024 - present | ||
The Mechanized Infantry are equipped with the following vehicles:
Under development:
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