54th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)
 | This article needs to be updated. (February 2023) |
| 54th Mechanized Brigade | |
|---|---|
| 54-та окрема механізована бригада імені гетьмана Івана Мазепи | |
.svg) Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia | |
| Active | December 2014 – present |
| Country |  Ukraine |
| Branch |  Ukrainian Ground Forces |
| Type | Mechanized Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | Operational Command East |
| Garrison/HQ | Bakhmut |
| Engagements | War in Donbas Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Decorations | .svg){kind=small} For Courage and Bravery |
| Insignia | |
| Subdued SSI | .svg) |
The 54th Mechanized Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa (Ukrainian: 54-та окрема механізована бригада імені гетьмана Івана Мазепи) is a brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, part of Operational Command East. The brigade is based in Bakhmut and was formed in 2014. The brigade fought in the war in Donbas and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
History
Between 18 and 22 December 2016, the brigade fought in the Battle of Svitlodarsk. The fighting began with a pro-Russian separatist attack against the 54th's positions. The brigade counterattacked the separatist flank and captured new positions. During the fighting, nine of the brigade's soldiers were killed and 35 were wounded. Press reports at the time described the action as the bloodiest in the preceding five months.[1]
The Georgian Legion fought in eastern Ukraine under the overall command of the 54th Mechanized Brigade. In December 2017, the Legion withdrew from the brigade citing the "incompetence" of the brigade's command after a costly operation conducted near Svitlodarsk on 16 December 2017.[2] The 54th Mechanized Brigade denied that a "Georgian Legion" had ever existed among their ranks.[3] In January 2018 the Legion's commander Mamulashvili said the Legion remained committed to the Ukrainian cause and had moved to another brigade. He added that the decision was not connected to a political conflict between Mikhail Saakashvili and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.[4]
On May 5, 2018, during a raid, a unit of the 25th Infantry Battalion of the brigade captured a Russian soldier from the 3rd Battalion of the 7th Motorized Rifle Brigade.[5][6]
On June 15, 2018, the brigade returned from the Joint Forces Operation Zone, where they had fought for eight months on the Svitlodarsk Arc. During the rotation, 170 fighters of Russian-aligned groups and 19 pieces of materiel were neutralized, three enemy positions were destroyed, and two settlements were recaptured.[7][8][9]
In mid-July 2019, the 54th Brigade conducted an operation in the Donbas, destroying a military base. The attack, which lasted only 12 minutes, destroyed valuable military equipment, killed 20 soldiers, and wounded 11.[10]
On May 6, 2020, the brigade was given the honorary title of "Ivan Mazepa."[11]
On December 6, 2022, the brigade was awarded the medal "For Courage and Bravery" by presidential decree.[12]
Organization
As of 2024, the brigade's structure is as follows:
- 54th Mechanized Brigade, Bakhmut
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- 1st Mechanized Battalion
- Attack UAV Unit "Legion"
- 2nd Mechanized Battalion "K-2"
- Attack UAV Platoon
- 3rd Mechanized Battalion
- 25th Motorized Battalion "Kyivan Rus"
- 46th Assault Battalion "Donbas-Ukraine"
- Tank Battalion
- Field Artillery Regiment
- Headquarters & Target Acquisition Battery
- Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S3 Akatsiya)
- Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S1 Gvozdika)
- Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)
- Anti-tank Artillery Battalion (MT-12 Rapira)
- Anti-Aircraft Missile Artillery Battalion
- Engineer Battalion
- Maintenance Battalion
- Logistic Battalion
- Reconnaissance Company
- Reconnaissance Group "Incognito"
- Attack UAV Company "Divine Punishment" ("Nebesna Kara")
- Sniper Company
- Electronic Warfare Company
- Signal Company
- Radar Company
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Company
- Medical Company
References
- ^ Goncharova, Olena (12 January 2017). "At least 22 Ukrainian soldiers killed in Russia's war in December–January". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
- ^ "UAWire - 'Georgian Legion' leaves Ukrainian Armed Forces". uawire.org. Retrieved 2020-01-27. and Mariamidze, Tea (20 December 2017). "Heavy Shelling Wounds Georgian Legion Members in Eastern Ukraine". Messenger Online. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ "Georgian volunteers in Ukraine war quit military unit after 'provocations'". Democracy and Freedom Watch. 10 Jan 2018.
- ^ "Georgian Legion Commander: we moved to another brigade within Ukrainian Armed Forces". UAWire. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ "Українські військові взяли в полон російського бойовика". milnavigator.tv/. Military Navigator. 2018-05-05. Archived from the original on 2018-05-05. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ "25 батальйон провів успішну операцію на передовій". mil.in.ua/. Український мілітарний портал. 2018-05-05. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ "Мешканці Харківщини урочисто зустріли бійців 54 омбр, які повернулись з району проведення ООС". mil.gov.ua. Міністерство оборони України. June 15, 2018. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018.
- ^ "Кінець "гарячої" ротації: зі Світлодарської дуги додому повернулася 54-та ОМБр". 5.ua. 5 канал. June 15, 2018. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- ^ "У мережі розповіли про успіхи українських військ зі знищенням техніки бойовиків на Світлодарській дузі". apostrophe.ua. Апостроф. 2018-06-20. Archived from the original on 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
- ^ "20 вбитих і 11 поранених окупантів за 12 хвилин та розбита ворожа техніка: ЗСУ провели нищівну операцію на Донбасі". 2019-08-29. Archived from the original on 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
- ^ "Указ Президента України № 168/2020". Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 836". president.gov.ua. 6 December 2022.