The 116th Territorial Defense Brigade () is a military formation of the Territorial Defense Forces of

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

Poltava Oblast Poltava Oblast (), also referred to as Poltavshchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of central Ukraine. The capital city, administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava. Most of its territory was par ...

. It is part of

Operational Command North The Operational Command North () is a command of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in northern Ukraine. It was formed in 2013 from the Operational Command West and Territorial Directorate North by reforming the 13th Army Corps (Ukraine), 13th Army Corps ...

History

Formation

On 25 June 2018 the brigade was formed in

. From 25 to 29 September units of brigade took part in large strategic command-staff training "Cossack Volition – 2018". By the end of 2018, more than 4,000 reservist completed rifle days, where they received basic training and instructions on how to fulfill their duties as territorial defense forces. In June 2019 Brigade held a large scale, 7 day exercise. On 17 February 2022 Brigade commander Lieutenant colonel Kalentiev Kostiantyn informed that brigade had a core of 300 contract officers, sergeants and soldiers.

Russo-Ukrainian War

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

When on 26 February

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...

invaded, they reached northeast parts of Poltava Oblast. First battle happened in Vepryk. During the night of 26-27 February units of the brigade, along with various regular Ukrainian Armed Forces formations, destroyed 2 columns in vicinity of

Hadiach Hadiach (, ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city in Myrhorod Raion, Poltava Oblast in east-central Ukraine. It hosts the administration of . Hadiach is located on the Psel (river), Psel River. Population: Name In addition to the Ukrainian lan ...

. On containing 29 vehicles and another 150. For more than 10 days heavy battles raged on border of Poltava and Sumy Oblasts. Each time Russian forces tried to cross Sula river, they were stopped by artillery units of the brigade. In those battles the brigade captured lots of enemy tanks, artillery and anti-aircraft guns. On 9 March the brigade destroyed another enemy column, capturing 3 tanks which were transferred to regular army units. Units of the brigade took part in the liberation of

Sumy Oblast Sumy Oblast (), also known as Sumshchyna (), is an oblast (province) in northeast Ukraine. The oblast was created in its modern-day form, from the merging of raions from Kharkiv Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast, and Poltava Oblast in 1939 by the Presid ...

. Later, the brigade was involved in

2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive On September 6, 2022, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive against the Russian military during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As Ukraine announced the start of the 2022 Kherson counteroffensive, Kherson counteroffensi ...

, it remained in Kharkiv region till the end of 2022. In January 2023 units of the brigade were fighting near

Soledar Soledar (, ; , ; ) is a destroyed city in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Situated in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, the city was formerly highly important for its salt mining industry, from which its name Soledar is derived. The ...

and

Bakhmut Bakhmut is a city in eastern Ukraine. It is officially the administrative center of Bakhmut urban hromada and Bakhmut Raion in Donetsk Oblast. The city is located on the Bakhmutka River, about north of Donetsk, the administrative center ...

. Later it was sent to

Toretsk Toretsk (; ) is an industrial city in Bakhmut Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It served as the administrative center of Toretsk urban hromada. As of January 2022, its population was approximately It has its origins as the hamlet Shcher ...

. After a short rest and recuperation the brigade saw action near Marinka and

Avdiivka Avdiivka (, ; , ) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The city is located in the centre of the oblast, just north of the regional centre, Donetsk. The large Avdiivka Coke Plant is located in Avdiivka. The city had a population of before th ...

Structure

As of 2024, the brigade's structure is as follows: * Headquarters * Coa_Illustration_Tincture_basic_Litvite

144th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

) А7310 ** Aerial Reconnaissance Group "Nightingales" ("Solovey") * Coa_Illustration_Tincture_basic_Litvite

145th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Kremenchuk Kremenchuk (; , , also spelt Kremenchug, ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. The city serves as the administrative center of Kremenchuk Raion and Kremenchuk urban hromada within ...

) А7311 *

146th Territorial Defense Battalion (

) А7312 *

147th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Lubny Lubny (, ) is a city in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Lubny Raion. It also hosts the administration of , one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: History Lubny is reputed to be one of the oldes ...

) А7313 *

148th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Myrhorod Myrhorod (, ) is a city in Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine. It serves as the Capital city, administrative center of Myrhorod Raion. Myrhorod also hosts the administration of Myrhorod urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. It is locate ...

) А7314 *

149th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Lokhvytsia Lokhvytsia (, ) is a city in Myrhorod Raion, Poltava Oblast, central Ukraine. It is located on the banks of the . Lokhvytsia hosts the administration of Lokhvytsia urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: Name In addition ...

) А7315 * Counter-Sabotage Company * Engineering Company * Communication Company * Logistics Company * Mortar Battery

Commanders

* Lieutenant colonel Kalentiev Kostiantyn 2019 - February 2022 * Colonel Chakhlov Oleksandr February 2022 - present

References

{{Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces Territorial defense Brigades of Ukraine 2018 establishments in Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2018 Poltava Oblast in the Russo-Ukrainian War