95th Air Assault Brigade (Ukraine)
95th Airmobile Brigade | |
---|---|
Active | 1994/95–present |
Country | Ukraine |
Branch | Ukrainian Ground Forces |
Type | Airmobile |
Size | ??00 + ~100 females[1][2] |
Part of | 8th Army Corps |
Garrison/HQ | A0281 А1910 Zhytomyr Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine |
Motto(s) | Strength, Courage, Honor |
Anniversaries | October 5, 1994 |
Engagements | Iraq Campaign Siege of Sloviansk |
Commanders | |
Current commander | Lieutenant Colonel Oleh Huliak[3] |
Insignia | |
Airmobile Forces insignia |
The 95th Separate Airmobile Brigade (Ukrainian: 95 окрема аеромобільна бригада), the main ground forces component of Ukraine’s rapid reaction force.[4] Brigade is located in Zhytomyr.[5] The brigade is one of the Ukrainian Partnership for Peace units.[6]
The 95th Training Center of the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces was created in the early 90s in Zhytomyr ( Korbutovka base) on the base of 242nd Training Armored Regiment.[5] The 242nd Training Armored Regiment had been part of the 117th Tank Training Division.[7] Training Center acquires second base - Bohunia. In 1995 Training Center was reorganized into 95th Separate Airborne Brigade. All of the units except staff and reconnaissance company moved to Bohunia base.[5]
First jumps in the Brigade occurred in 1994. Brigade was also one of the first airmobile units to receive its Battle Banner. It received the Banner on October 5, 1994. Until spring of 1996 all of the jumps were done from Mi-8. By the end of the Ukrainian summer of 1996 soldiers began jumping from Il-76 aircraft. All the jumps were in the region of Smokovka, and in the Brigades training range, located in the area of Starokonstantinin road across the Teterev river. Currently Brigades drop zone is located near Singury settlement, few dozen miles from Zhytomyr.
The Brigade originally had 4 battalions, 1 of them was disbanded. Soldiers from the Brigade took part in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, and between 2003-2005 in Iraq.[5][8]
In 2000 Brigade was reorganized into Airmobile Brigade and became subordinate to 8th Army Corps. Currently Brigade has 13th Separate Airmobile Battalion which consists of professionals soldiers and not conscripts and 2nd Airmobile Battalion which consists of conscripts based in Korbutovka (A-1910). Command of the Brigade, 1st Airmobile Battalion which consists of conscripts, specialized, artillery, logistics units based in Bohunia (A-0281).[5]
In 2014 the Brigade took part in the retaking of the (Ukrainian) city Sloviansk during the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[9]
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Soldiers from the 95th Airborne Brigade in 2012.
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Soldiers from the 95th Airborne Brigade prepare for movememnt during Rapid Trident 2012 in Yavoriv, Ukraine.
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Ukrainian Minister of Defense Yuriy Yekhanurov inspecting the troops of the 95th Airmobile Brigade on Independence day 2008.
Structure
All battalions are commonly referred to as 1st and 2nd and 3rd Battalions by the service members.
- ВЗРАБ
- Supply Battalion
- Reconnaissance Company[3]
- Chemical Platoon
- Combat Engineer
- Artillery Battalion
- Supply Company
- Field Signal Node
- Fire Fighting Platoon
- Commandant Platoon
- Anti-Tank Battalion
- Management Platoon of Commander of Artillery
- 11th Battalion
- Headquarters Company
- 12th Battalion
- Headquarters Company
- 4th Airmobile Company
- 5th Airmobile Company
- 6th Airmobile Company
- Mortar Battery
- Anti-Tank Platoon
- Anti-Aircraft Platoon
- File:13oaemb.jpg 13th Battalion
Past Commanders
- Colonel Kinzerskiy
- Colonel Chabanenko
- Colonel Hortuyk
- Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Shvets - 2008[10]
References
- ^ Template:Uk icon A lot of brave men and not enough parachutes
- ^ Template:Uk icon Females serve for money
- ^ a b Template:Uk icon Brigade prepares for 16th anniversary of airmobile troops
- ^ U.S.-Ukraine military relations and the value of interoperability, pg 17
- ^ a b c d e Template:Ru icon 95th Airmobile
- ^ Partnership for Peace Ukrainian Designated Units.
- ^ Feskov et al 2004, p55
- ^ Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Official BulletinTemplate:Uk icon
- ^ More than 30 killed in Odessa blaze as Ukraine violence spreads, Channel NewsAsia (3 May 2014)
- ^ Template:Uk icon Staff meeting of the 8th Army Corps