The 121st 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 ...

Kirovohrad Oblast Kirovohrad Oblast (), also known as Kirovohradshchyna (), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (''province'') in central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Kropyvnytskyi. The oblast's population is It is ...

. It is part of

Operational Command South The Operational Command South ( OC South, ) is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in the southern part of Ukraine, which was formed in January 1998 as the Southern Operation Command on the basis of the Odesa Military District and was headq ...

History

Formation

In 2018 the brigade was formed in

. Colonel Dmytro Zavorotniuk went to command 101st Territorial Defense Brigade. He was replaced with Lieutenant colonel Serhii Kolos in 2021. Exercises were held from 25 to 29 September, 23 to 25 October in 2018. 3 to 5 September, 24 to 27 September in 2019 and 16 to 18 January in 2020. During April 2021 brigade held training exercise for reservists. On 7 February 2022 brigade was 70% staffed, with close to 15% females. 30-40% of those who joined were veterans of the

War in Donbas The war in Donbas, or the Donbas war, was a phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. The war Timeline of the war in Donbas (2014), began in April 2014, when Russian separatist forces in Ukraine, Russian para ...

. Battalions had 50 soldiers and officers during peacetime and 400 in time of war. Brigade in time of would have over 3,000 soldiers. With the reorganization of Territorial Defense forces five battalions were planned.

Russo-Ukrainian War

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

174th battalion spent late spring and early summer in vicinity of

Sievierodonetsk Sievierodonetsk or Severodonetsk, officially since 2024 Siverskodonetsk, is a city in Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located to the northeast of the left bank of the Donets river and approximately to the northwest from the administrati ...

and

Lysychansk Lysychansk ( , ; , ; , ) is a city in Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is located on the high right bank of the Donets River, approximately from the administrative center of the oblast, Luhansk. It faces Sievierodonet ...

. They spent a month defending village of

Borivske, Luhansk Oblast Borivske () is a rural settlement in Sievierodonetsk Raion (district) in Luhansk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, about NWbW of the centre of Luhansk city. Population: Until 18 July 2020, Borivske was located in Sievierodonetsk Municipality. The ...

. In late June and early July various units of the brigade held combat, communication and signal, training placing and removing mines training. In October the 1st rifle company of the 175th battalion was stationed in Zaporizhzhia oblast. Other units of the brigade were stationed in Kherson Oblast where they captured enemy equipment. Colonel Serhii Zadorozhnyi took command during 2022. On 4 December, the brigade received its battle flag. 176th battalion was stationed near

Kherson Kherson (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and , , ) is a port city in southern Ukraine that serves as the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast. Located by the Black Sea and on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, Kherson is the home to a major ship-bui ...

in February 2023. On 11 May 2023 units of the brigade held joint training with

Ukrainian Naval Aviation The Ukrainian Naval Aviation (, ) is a component of the Ukrainian Navy. During the breakup of the Soviet Union, significant portions of the Soviet Naval Aviation were based in Ukraine, which were intended to support the Black Sea Fleet. These fo ...

Structure

As of 2022 the brigade's structure is as follows: * Headquarters * Coa_Illustration_Tincture_basic_Litvite

174th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Kropyvnytskyi Kropyvnytskyi (, ) is a city in central Ukraine, situated on the Inhul, Inhul River. It serves as the administrative center of Kirovohrad Oblast. Population: Over its history, Kropyvnytskyi has changed its name several times. The settlement ...

) А7340 * 175ter

175th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Oleksandriia Oleksandriia (, ) is a city in Kirovohrad Oblast, central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Oleksandriia Raion and . Oleksandriia is located within the Kryvyi Rih metropolitan area. In 2001, it had a population of 93,357, a ...

) А7341 * Coa_Illustration_Tincture_basic_Litvite

176th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Holovanivsk Holovanivsk (, ) is a rural settlement and the administrative center of Holovanivsk Raion in the west of Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Holovanivsk settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: Hist ...

) А7342 * 177th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Bobrynets Bobrynets (, ; ; ) is a city in Kropyvnytskyi Raion, Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Bobrynets urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: History In 1767, the colonel of the Zaporozhian Cossacks, Andri ...

) А7343 * Coa_Illustration_Tincture_basic_Litvite

178th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Novoukrainka Novoukrainka (, ) is a city in Kirovohrad Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Novoukrainka Raion. It hosts the administration of Novoukrainka urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: History The terr ...

) А7344 * Coa_Illustration_Tincture_basic_Litvite

179th Territorial Defense Battalion (

Svitlovodsk Svitlovodsk (, ) is a city located on the banks of the Dnieper River in Oleksandriia Raion, part of Kirovohrad Oblast in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Svitlovodsk urban hromada, one of the many hromadas of Ukraine. The city ...

) А7345 * Engineering Company * Communication Company * Logistics Company * Mortar Battery

Commanders

* Colonel Dmytro Zavorotniuk 2018 - 2021 * Colonel Serhii Kolos 2021 - 2022 * Colonel Serhii Zadorozhnyi 2022 - present

References

{{Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces Territorial defense Brigades of Ukraine 2018 establishments in Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2018 History of Kirovohrad Oblast