The 131st Separate Reconnaissance Battalion " Colonel Yevhen Konovalets" (A1445) is a battalion of the

Ukrainian ground forces The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...

acting as an independent unit subordinated directly to the

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 ...

and has seen combat during both the

War in Donbass 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 began in April 2014, when Russian paramilitaries seized several towns. Ukraine's military launched an operation ...

and the

Russian Invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, performing reconnaissance and combat operations throughout the entire front.

History

It was established on 1 April 2014, mainly from volunteers and operated mainly in the Southern and Mariupol directions during the

participating in the liberation of

Shyrokyne Shyrokyne (, ) or Shirokino () is a village in the Mariupol Raion of Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The village is situated on the shore of the Sea of Azov, about east from the centre of Mariupol. War in Donbas The village became a battleground in ...

Pavlopil Pavlopil (; ) is a village in Mariupol Raion (district) in Donetsk Oblast of eastern Ukraine, at about 25 km NW from Novoazovsk and about 25 km NE from Mariupol, on the left bank of the Kalmius river. The conflict between Ukraine ...

and Pyshchevyk. On 20 June 2015, two soldiers of the battalion, Nazarenko Andriy Volodymyrovych and Miloserdov Volodymyr Oleksandrovych were killed in a clash with a separatist DRG between

Chermalyk Chermalyk (; ; ) is a village in Mariupol Raion (district) in Donetsk Oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine, near the northern banks of the Sea of Azov. Chermalyk is situated at 39.3 km south from the centre of Donetsk city, in some 40 km ...

and the

. On 18 July 2015, a soldier of the battalion, Ryzhov Stanislav Anatoliyovych was killed by a landmine while performing a reconnaissance mission near

Mariupol Mariupol is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius, Kalmius River. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the tenth-largest city in the coun ...

in Oktiabr. On 15 December 2015, while performing a combat reconnaissance mission near Pavlopil, a reconnaissance group of the battalion came under sniper fire killing one soldier, Nosenko Artem Vyacheslavovych. On 7 July 2016, near Lopaskyne, a Volkswagen minibus of the battalion was blown up by a landmine, two soldiers of the battalion, Kovalskyi Anatoliy Viktorovych and Yablonsky Mykola Mykolayovych were killed. On 30 August 2016, a soldier of the battalion, Zhulynsky Mykola Volodymyrovych was killed by a Separatist sniper while performing a combat mission near Dovhe. On 11 November 2016, a soldier of the battalion, Oleg Olegovich Suprikin was killed while performing a combat operation in Malinove. On 30 April 2017, while performing a combat mission near Katerynivka, Popasnyanskyi district, the battalion personnel came under heavy mortar shelling from Molodizhne, a soldier, Mayboroda Denis Anatoliyovych was killed and two more were wounded. On 13 December 2017, a soldier of the battalion, Kornelyuk Pavlo Volodymyrovych was killed by a Separatist sniper at an observation post in Kruta Balka. A soldier of the battalion, Panin Viktor Vyacheslavovich, was killed in

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 ...

on 21 February 2018. On 10 March 2020, at a position near Pisky, separatists'

ATGM An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), anti-tank missile, anti-tank guided weapon (ATGW) or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily armored military vehicles. ATGMs range in size from shoulder ...

s hit a

GAZ-66 The GAZ-66 is a Soviet Union, Soviet and later Russian four wheel drive, 4x4 all-road (off-road) military truck produced by GAZ. It was one of the main cargo vehicles for motorized infantry of the Soviet Army and is still employed in former Sovi ...

of the battalion, two soldiers of the battalion, Soltys Viktor Mykolayovych and Andriy Oleksandrovych Vedeshin were killed and eight more were wounded, an additional soldier, Perezhogin Ilya Nikolaevich was killed by a sniper attack at the same position. On 23 August 2021, a soldier of the battalion, Aksyonov Alexander Vasilyevich was killed as a result of separatist shelling on a stronghold. Since the beginning of the full-scale

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...

, the battalion has actively participated in the

Southern Ukraine campaign The southern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is an ongoing Theater (warfare)#Theatre of operation, theatre of operation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. The Russian Armed Forces, Russian military inva ...

performing defensive, assault, reconnaissance, and other special tasks. In early March 2022, a reconnaissance group of the battalion came under enemy fire near

Luhove Luhove () is a village (''selo'') in Zolochiv Raion, Lviv Oblast, in western Ukraine. It belongs to Zabolottsi rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. From 1918 to 1939 the village was in Tarnopol Voivodeship in Poland. Until 18 July 2020 ...

and a soldier, Obertiy Mykola Grigorovich went

MIA Mia, Mía, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to: Music Artists * M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer * M.I.A. (American band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California * MIA. (German band), a German rock/pop band formed i ...

and was later confirmed dead. A soldier of the battalion, Petruk Valentyn Vasylovich was killed in action on 23 April 2022 in

Pokrovsk Pokrovsk (, ; ), formerly known as Krasnoarmiisk (until 2016) and Grishino (until 1934), is a city and the administrative center of Pokrovsk Raion in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is located northwest of Donetsk. Prior to 2020, it was incorporat ...

. An officer of the battalion, Gutnik Vadim Svyatoslavovych was killed in combat as a result of shelling on 26 July 2022. In September 2022, a reconnaissance group of the battalion successfully adjusted artillery and aviation fire on a Russian troop concentration in

Mala Seidemynukha Mala Seidemynukha (; ) is a village in Beryslav Raion (district) in Kherson Oblast of southern Ukraine, at about north-northeast from the centre of Kherson city, on the left bank of the Inhulets river. It belongs to Kalynivske settlement hroma ...

destroying equipment and personnel. It also engaged in small arms battles prompting Russian forces to withdraw. On 10 November 2022, the battalion liberated

Snihurivka Snihurivka ( ) is a small city in Bashtanka Raion, Mykolaiv Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of . Population: It was occupied by Russia from 19 March 2022 until 10 November 2022. History Snihurivka was a settlement in Kherson ...

in the

Mykolaiv Oblast Mykolaiv Oblast (, ), also referred to as Mykolaivshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Mykolaiv. At the most recent estimate, the population ...

. On 6 September 2023, a soldier of the battalion, Orlov Andriy Igorovych (

Hero of Ukraine A Hero of Ukraine (HOU; ) is the highest national decoration that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the president of Ukraine. The decoration was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma. As of 6 June 2025, the total number of re ...

) was killed in combat on the frontlines. On 1 October 2023, the 131st Separate Reconnaissance Battalion was awarded the honorary name "Colonel Yevhen Konovalets". A soldier of the battalion, Kryshtov Ivan Igorovich was killed by shelling on 29 July 2024.

Commanders

* Lieutenant Colonel Kalembet Dmytro Serhiyovych (2022-)

Structure

* Management & Headquarters * 1st Reconnaissance Company *2nd Reconnaissance Company * Long Range Reconnaissance Company * UAV Reconnaissance Companu * Fire Support Company * Maintenance Platoon * Logistics Platoon * Commandant Platoon * Medical Center

References

Sources

Структура Сухопутних військ ЗС України

{{Ukrainian Ground Forces Military units and formations established in 1992 Special forces of Ukraine Battalions of Ukraine Military units and formations of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Military units and formations of Ukraine in the war in Donbas Army units and formations of Ukraine