Ukrainian Air Assault Forces formation
Military unit
The 25th Separate Airborne Brigade "Sicheslav" (Ukrainian: 25-та окрема повітрянодесантна Січеславська бригада)[2] is an airborne formation of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces.
It is the only airborne unit of Ukrainian Air Assault Forces which has BMD-1[3][4] and BMD-2[5][6][7] airborne infantry fighting vehicles in its inventory. In addition, it is the only unit which can be dropped anywhere by parachute, together with their armored vehicles, from Il-76MD aircraft.[8]
History
Between June 25 and August 11, 1969, the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment (Base #11389 [Military Unit No.11389?]) of the 98th Guards Airborne Division of the Soviet Airborne Forces was relocated to Bolhrad (Bolgrad), Odesa Oblast.[9]
After the dissolution of the USSR, the 98th Guards Airborne Division was split between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In the spring of 1993, the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment was relocated to Ivanovo in Russia. The regiment's Battle Flag, Order of Kutuzov, and 55% of the supplies were also relocated.[9][10]
Current unit
By the order of Minister of Defence of Ukraine the new Ukrainian airmobile brigade based on the elements of the Soviet 217th Guards Airborne Regiment was formed in Bolgrad in May 1993. By December 1, 1993, the brigade was finally formed as one of the units of the 1st Airmobile Division.[9]
From October 1995 until December 1999, 800 paratroopers from the brigade served as part of the 240th Special Battalion in former Yugoslavia. Later they served as peacekeepers in Kosovo.[10]
Between May and June 2002, the Brigade was relocated to the urban-type settlement Hvardiyske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The brigade was given the honorable designation "Dnipropetrovsk", for their battle achievements and high level of professionalism. On July 16, 2002, Leonid Kuchma awarded the unit with its new Battle Flag.[9]
By the order of the Minister of Defence the Brigade was transferred from the 1st Airmobile Division to the 6th Army Corps on November 8, 2002.[9]
On the occasion of the 30th Independence Day of Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renamed the unit from 25th Separate Dnipropetrovsk Airborne Brigade (Ukrainian: 25 окрема Дніпропетровська повітряно-десантна бригада Cухопутних військ Збройних Сил України, romanized: 25 okrema Dnipropetrovs’ka povitryano-desantna bryhada Sukhoputnykh viys’k Zbroynykh Syl Ukrayiny[11]) to its current name.[2]
Combat operations
War in Donbass
On June 13, 2014, an IL-76 Transport was shot down killing forty 25th Airborne Brigade troopers near Luhansk, Ukraine. “On the night of June 13–14, firing from an anti-aircraft gun and a large-caliber machine gun, anti-regime forces cynically and treacherously shot down a Ukraine armed forces transport plane IL-76 which was bringing personnel for rotation,” said in a statement posted on the Defense Ministry's official website.[12]
A company of the brigade was deployed to Crimea during the 2014 Crimean crisis. It became one of the few, if not the only, Ukrainian unit to leave Crimea as a unit, still bearing their arms.[13]
Two of its IFVs were captured by rebels during the war in Donbas. One of the vehicles was a BMD-1 and the other a BMD-2. Both are now used by the separatists. A 2S9 Nona-S was also captured by rebel forces.[14] After elements surrendered 6 vehicles to pro-Russian separatists in the 2014 Sloviansk standoff,[15] Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov announced the brigade would be disbanded, however this decision was later canceled. The brigade has taken an active role in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine.[16]
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
The unit takes part in combat in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On March 15, 2022, a video was released showing a Russian tank being destroyed by the brigade.[17] On March 18, 2022, the brigade released more photos of destroyed Russian T-72s.[18]
In September 2022, the brigade was seen reaching the outskirts of Kupiansk alongside SBU Alpha Group, 92nd Mechanized Brigade, and the 80th Air Assault Brigade. That same day, the Kyiv Post announced the liberation of the city, despite the Ukrainian Armed Forces operational silence.[19] The UK Ministry of Defence commented, suggesting that the capture of the city dealt a "significant blow" due to Russian supply nodes routing to the Donbas region.[20]
On 16 October 2023, Ukrainian Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi said that the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade had shot down a Mi-8 without supplying the location.[21]
Structure
As of 2023, the brigade's structure is as follows:[22]
- 25th Airborne Brigade, Hvardiiske
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- 1st Parachute Battalion
- 2nd Parachute Battalion
- 3rd Parachute Battalion
- Snipers Company
- Tank Company (Air Transportable) (The tank company of 25th Airborne Brigade, equipped with T-80BV tanks).
- Artillery Group
- Self-Propelled Artillery Division (2S9 Nona)
- Anti-Tank Guided Missiles Artillery Battery (9K111 Fagot)
- Howitzer Artillery Division (D-30)
- Reactive Artillery Division (BM-21 Grad)
- Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery division
- Reconnaissance Landing Company
- Parachute Artillery Regiment
- Anti-Aircraft Company
- Engineer and Sapper Company
- Maintenance Company
- CBRN Protection Company
- Logistic Company
- Landing Support Company
- Material Support Company
- Medical Company
- Communication Company
- Proving Grounds
- Brigade Band
Traditions
On July 16, 2002, the brigade was awarded the honorary name "Dnipropetrovsk".[23]
On August 23, 2021, in accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 414/2021 of August 23, 2021, the brigade was assigned the honorary name "Sycheslavska", and the Decree of the President of Ukraine of July 16, 2002 No. 654 "On assigning the honorary name "Dnipropetrovsk" to 25 separate airborne units brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" — recognized as having lost its validity.[24]
On October 14, 2021, in Zaporizhzhia on the island of Khortytsia, during the visit of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy, brigade commander Colonel Yevhen Kurash was given the brigade's new Regimental Colour in a Presentation of Colours ceremony.[25]
On June 28, 2022, the brigade was awarded the honorary citation "For Courage and Bravery".[26]
Valery Ananiev, a soldier of the brigade, wrote the fiction book Footprints on the Road, which, among other things, described Valery's service in the brigade before the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war and his experience and combat path after it began.[27]
Ukraine
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