The 15th Operational Assignment Kara Dag Brigade "

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 ...

Lieutenant Bohdan Zavada" is a brigade of the

National Guard of Ukraine The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU; , ; /NHU ) is the Ukrainian national gendarmerie and internal military force. It is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, responsible for public security. Originally created as an agency under the dire ...

. It is a part of the Ukrainian Offensive Guard and was established as the 9th Special Purpose Regiment in 1994 at the village of Shiroky in

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Zaporizhzhia Oblast (), commonly referred to as Zaporizhzhia (), is an oblast (region) in south-east Ukraine. Its administrative centre is the city of Zaporizhzhia. The oblast covers an area of , and has a population of The oblast is an import ...

. It has taken part in multiple engagements throughout the

Russo-Ukrainian war The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

and is currently deployed on the frontlines in Pokrovsk. It is currently headquartered in Zaporizhzhia City.

History

The brigade was initially created as the 9th Special Purpose Regiment on 1 June 1994 at the village of Shiroky in

to protect public order as a part of the

Internal Troops of Ukraine The Internal Troops of Ukraine (; ), abbreviated VV (), were a uniformed gendarmerie and Internal Troops in Ukraine. They were subordinate to the Chief Directorate of Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine), Ministry of Internal Affairs (the count ...

. It was tasked to ensure law and order in case of student uprising, football riots and other events. Its headquarters were then transferred to

Zaporizhzhia Zaporizhzhia, formerly known as Aleksandrovsk or Oleksandrivsk until 1921, is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. It is the Capital city, administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia ...

. The regiment saw combat on multiple occasions during 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 ...

. On 16 July 2014, a checkpoint of the

near the border village of Marynivka in

Donetsk Oblast Donetsk Oblast, also referred to as Donechchyna (, ), is an Oblasts of Ukraine, oblast in eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. Its capital city, administrative centre is Donetsk, though d ...

was attacked by about a hundred separatists and four armored vehicles, from the villages of Stepanivka and

Tarana ''Tarana'' is a type of composition in Hindustani classical music, Hindustani classical vocal music in which certain words (e.g. "odani", "todani", "tadeem" and "yalali") based on Persian language, Persian and Arabic language, Arabic phonemes are ...

. They opened fire, prompting the Ukrainian military to retaliate by firing back. Suddenly, two separatist

armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s came out of the forest to attack the position. So a soldier of the regiment (Zavada Bohdan Oleksiyovych) launched an ATGM destroying a separatist APC, killing 12 separatists, allowing the NG troops to regroup but he himself was killed in action. For his heroic actions, Zavada Bohdan Oleksiyovych was awarded the

, the highest military award for Ukrainian personnel. An officer (Ivan Ivanovich Yakushyn) was killed the next day on 17 July 2014 as a result of the wounds sustained in the previous engagement. On 1 August 2014, after the restoration of the

, the 9th Special Purpose Regiment of the Internal Troops "Cheetah", numbering around 1800 personnel was officially reorganized into the 9th Operational Regiment of the Southern Operational Territorial Unit of the

. On 28 October, a checkpoint of MG near Mariupol was attacked by separatists, so an officer of the regiment (Ihor Mykolayovych Yukhymets) coordinated the withdrawal of all troops to safety but was himself killed by a Utyos tank machine gun. On 19 February 2016, the regiment along with ten other units received permanent official assistance from the

administration. On 20 October 2016, the regiment opened a memorial for its fallen personnel. On 31 October 2019, the regiment marked the 25th anniversary of its establishment. On 25 March 2020, the regiment received the honorary name of "

Lieutenant Bohdan Zavada". On 23 August 2020, the regiment was presented with a Battle Flag and a ribbon. On 21 September 2020, a memorial plaque to the Hero of Ukraine Bohdan Zavada and a new church in honor of John the Warrior were inaugurated. Until 2020, the regiment celebrated the day of the regiment on 31 October, but it was changed to 1 June in 2020. In August 2021, the regiment received a new Insignia. The regiment saw combat on multiple occasions during 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 ...

. On 24 February 2022, the regiment participated in the defense of the settlements of

Melitopol Melitopol is a city and municipality in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southeastern Ukraine. It is situated on the Molochna River, which flows through the eastern edge of the city into the Molochnyi Lyman estuary. Melitopol is the second-largest city ...

Molochansk Molochansk (, ; ; ) is a city in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. The Molochna River flows through the city. Population: Molochanks was occupied by the southern front of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022. H ...

Tokmak Tokmak (, ) is a small city in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, in south-central Ukraine. It stands on the Tokmak River, a tributary of the Molochna. It is the administrative centre of the Tokmak urban hromada, and was the centre of the T ...

Kamianske Kamianske (, ; ), previously known as Dniprodzerzhynsk from 1936 to 2016, is an industrial city in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine, and a port on the Dnieper, Dnieper River. It serves as the administrative center of Kamianske Raion and Kamianske ...

, and Mala Tokmachka and stopped Russian forces in the directions of Vasylivka-

and

- Orihiv. On 25 February 2022, a soldier of the regiment (Dmytro Oleksandrovich Kypenko) was killed while operating in

. On 26 February 2022, the personnel of the regiment engaged Russian troops on the southern outskirts of the city of

destroying two Russian APCs with crews inside as well as the surrounding infantry, two Russian tanks were damaged and disabled and the Russians retreated the northern outskirts of the city. When Russians again attempted to invade the southwestern outskirts of the city of

, three Russian tanks were destroyed. The Anti-aircraft units of the brigade destroyed 4

Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' ( ('' rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Soviet Ground Forces. The ...

s, 2 Ka-52s, 2

UAV An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Drone ...

s, 1 missile, in addition to ground armored vehicles. The regiment took part in defensive operations during the

Siege of Mariupol The siege of Mariupol began on 24 February 2022 and lasted until 20 May, as part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It saw fighting between the Russian Armed Forces (alongside the Donetsk People's Republic People's Militia) and the Ukrainian ...

. On 3 March 2022, a Russian column was spotted by Colonel Dmytro Oleksandrovich Apukhtin but one unit of Russian armored vehicles was destroyed before the arrival of the column. On 5 March 2022, in an engagement with a separate Russian group, two Russian armored vehicles and about 20 personnel were neutralized, two more

BMP-2 The BMP-2 (''Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty'', , literally "combat machine/vehicle f theinfantry") is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following on from the BMP-1 of the 1960s. Development his ...

s and some personnel were killed on 20 March. On 12 March 2022, Colonel Apukhtin was himself killed in action while saving the lives of other personnel. Colonel Dmytro Oleksandrovich Apukhtin was posthumously awarded the

the highest military award for Ukrainian personnel. The brigade also took part in the defense of

Zaporizhzhia International Airport Zaporizhzhia International Airport () is the international airport that serves Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, one of three airfields around the city. The aircraft engine factory Motor Sich has its base here. In May 2020, the airport was extended with a n ...

to prevent a Russian Air Assault. It also saw action in

Orikhiv Orikhiv (, ; , ) is a city in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southern Ukraine. It had an estimated population of as of 1 January 2022. Early in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, many residents were evacuated, with 6,000 remaining by Au ...

where a soldier of the brigade (Serhii Volodymyrovych Titov) was killed on 10 May 2022. In May 2022, the brigade participated in the battles for Malinivka and Uspenivka. It also took part in combat in

during which a soldier of the regiment (Ishchenko Anton Viktorovych) was killed on 14 July 2022. On 6 November 2022, a soldier of the regiment (Stanislav Bloshchynskyi) was killed in

. On 19 November 2022, a soldier of the brigade (Mykola Vasyliovych Ternopilskyi) was killed in

. On January 15, 2023, the 9th regiment was reorganized into the 15th Operational Brigade. In February 2023, the 15th Brigade of the

Offensive Guard Offensive may refer to: * Offensive (military), type of military operation * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative (Netherlands), Socialist Alternative * Fighting words, spoken words which would have a tende ...

received the name "Kara-Dag after the Kara Dag Mountain. In 2023, it saw combat during the

2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive In early June 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine launched a Counter-offensive, counteroffensive against Russian forces Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupying its territory with a goal of breaching the front lines ...

. On 14 July 2023, the 15th "Kara-Dag" Brigade in cooperation with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine advanced in the

advancing 1700m. During the counteroffensive a soldier (Tarasov Ivan Oleksandrovych) was killed on 4 August between the villages of Verbove and Robotyne and another soldier (Roman Viktorovych Nepomyachchi) being killed on 7 August near the village of Mala Tokmachka, followed by one more (Serhii Fedorovych Svynarchuk) on 23 October and another (Prostyakov Radyslav Yakovych) on 26 October 2023. On 22 February 2024, an officer of the brigade (Petro Mykolayovych Tataryn) was killed as a result of a UAV chemical attack on the brigade's positions on the frontlines. Another soldier of the brigade (Ihor Dubuk) was killed by Russian forces on 6 June 2024 and a third soldier of the brigade (Yuriy Shevchuk) on 18 August. On 30 August 2024, the brigade was sent from

to stop the Russian forces during the Pokrovsk offensive. On 6 October 2024, during the Battle of Selydove, four guardsmen of the Brigade were captured and executed by Russian forces.

Structure

* Management and Headquarters * 1st Operational Battalion * 3rd Operational Battalion * Self-propelled Artillery Division * Anti-tank Artillery Battery * Reserve Rifle Company * Tank Company * Special Intelligence and Reconnaissance Company * Anti-aircraft Missile Artillery Battery * "Ghost of Khortytsia" Battalion * Special Purpose Reconnaissance Company * Support Battalion * Communications Company * Repair Company * Material, Logistical and Technical Support Company * Combat Support Company * Medical Center * Orchestra

Commanders

* Colonel Oleksandr Vasyliovych Khomenko (2014–2018) * Colonel Belyaev Andriy Mykolayovych (2018–2021) * Colonel Serdiuk Serhii Yuriyovych (2021–2023) * Colonel Vlasenko Dmytro Anatoliyovych (2023–2024) * Colonel Ivan Bondarenko (2024-)

Sources

* * * * *
В «Гепарді» провели майстер-класи

«Гепард» відчинив двері

* ttp://newsme.com.ua/ua/ukraine/1877317/ В Одесу прибув «Гепард»
«Гепард» перекрив вул. Інститутську

О. Тягнибок: «Ми не дамо з України зробити колонію Москви»

* ttp://5.ua/peredachy/70508 МВС почало будувати власні барикади?* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160119153742/http://mil.in.ua/encyclopediya/pravoohoronci/mvs/mvs-specpidrozdily/bars-yaguar-gepard-tigr Спецпідрозділи ВВ МВС — «Барс», «Ягуар», «Гепард», «Тигр»]
«Гепард», «Беркут», ВВ-ки і фани регіоналів оточили Раду

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160504202757/http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/47462-v-boyu-pod-marinovkoy-prikryvaya-lichnyy-sostav-geroicheski-pogib-sotrudnik-zaporozhskogo-geparda.html В бою на Донбассе, прикрывая личный состав, героически погиб сотрудник «Гепарда»]
Книга пам'яті співробітників запорізької міліції, які загинули при виконанні службових обов'язків

Арсен Аваков вручив державні нагороди співробітникам МВС, волонтерам, лікарям (фото)

Запорожский фельдшер, спасший в АТО сослуживца

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/72834-poyavitsya-li-v-zaporozhe-ulica-imeni-geroya-ukrainy-bogdana-zavady.html Жена и родители погибшего нацгвардейца получили его награду]
Із зони АТО повернулись запорізькі бійці

Командир запорожской части НГУ: Главный «дед» здесь Я

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/79977-v-zaporozhe-kombaty-nacgvardii-uchilis-ispolzovat-tanki-i-pushki.html В Запорожье комбаты НГУ учились использовать танки и пушки]
В Запорожье гвардейцев оставят в резерве райотделов

Запорізькі гвардійці влаштували «День відчинених дверей» для школярів (фото)

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160808221826/http://meriazp.gov.ua/test/?id=42&pid=16963 Рішення Запорізької міської ради No. 51 від 19.02.2016 "Про перейменування вул. Мікояна в Запоріжжі на вул. Богдана Завади]
Женщин-военнослужащих запорожского полка НГУ к празднику обули

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160809005644/http://timenews.in.ua/246115/zaporozhskih-natsgvardejtsev-pozdravili-s-professional-ny-m-prazdnikom-foto Запорожских гвардейцев поздравили с профессиональным праздником (фото)]
Часть запорожских гвардейцев праздник встретит рядом с зоной АТО — на боевом посту

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/95621-v-zaporozhskom-polku-nacgvardii-pribavlenie.html В полк для дальнейшего прохождения военной службы прибыли молодые офицеры — выпускники учебных заведений НГУ]
В полку НГУ очень ждут танкистов, артиллеристов

* ttp://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/95729-bulavincev.html Запорожский прапорщик обеспечивал гвардейцам связь на линии столкновения
Запорожским гвардейцам будет на чем спать

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/96969-soldat-zavada.html В Запорожье 13-летний солдат Завада в части своего погибшего отца-героя ходил в строю и стрелял на полигоне]
Запорожские спецназовцы просят построить им баню

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/98228-zaporozhskie-gvardeycy-poluchili-massu-polozhitelnyh-emociy.html В запорожский полк НГУ гости приходят не с пустыми руками]
Младшие «спецы» артиллерии сразу отправляются на полигон

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/100726-zaporozhskie-zhurnalisty-pobyvali-v-zalozhnikah.html Командование в/ч 3029 поздравило журналистов с их профессиональным праздником креативно]
В запорожской части НГУ девушки принимали присягу со слезами на глазах

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160811064002/http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/102746-v-zaporozhskuyu-chast-nacgvardii-na-prisyagu-sehalis-deti-so-vsey-ukrainy.html В запорожскую часть НГУ на присягу съехались дети со всей Украины]
Запорожские полицейские нашли табличку с именем Героя Украины, которую со стены дома сорвали негодяи

* ttp://www.061.ua/news/1309529 В Запорожье открыли памятную доску герою АТО Богдану Заваде (фото)
Нацгвардейцы присягнули на верность Украине

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/107269-komandir-zaporozhskoy-chasti-my-zhdem-rasporyazheniya-ob-ubytii-v-zonu-ato.html Командир запорожской части: Мы ждем распоряжения об убытии в зону АТО]
Запорожский губернатор получил награду на плацу воинской части

* [http://iz.com.ua/zaporoje/108458-v-zaporozhe-general-leytenant-rasskazal-kakoy-komandir-yavlyaetsya-prestupnikom.html Начальник Південного ТрУ НГУ перевірив організацію внутрішньої служби військових частин 3026, 3029, 3033]
У центрі Запоріжжя нацгвардійці на бронетранспортері зазивали людей в армію (фото)

У військовій частині 3042 пройшли тактико-спеціальні навчання

Розпочався табірний збір артилерійських підрозділів військової частини 3029 НГУ

Почесні найменування присвоєно 27 бригаді та 9 полку НГУ

Notes

References

{{Reflist Military units and formations of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Military units and formations of Ukraine in the war in Donbas Brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2014