The 24th Mechanized Brigade (, abbreviated ) is a mechanized

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

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 ...

, based at

Yavoriv Yavoriv (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine. It is situated about from the Poland, Polish border. It serves as the administrative centre of Yavoriv Raion and is situated approximately west of the oblast capital, Lviv. Yavoriv ...

in the west of Ukraine. The brigade, the oldest in continuous service within the Ground Forces, was originally formed as the 1st Simbirsk Infantry Division of

Soviet Russia The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

in 1918 during the Russian Civil War. The unit was soon renamed the 24th Rifle Division. It fought in the

Winter War The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, during which it was destroyed during

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

. Reformed without inheriting the lineage of the first formation, the second formation of the 24th gained the

Berdychiv Berdychiv (, ) is a historic city in Zhytomyr Oblast, northern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Berdychiv Raion within the oblast. It is south of the administrative center of the oblast, Zhytomyr. Its population is approximat ...

honorific for its actions during the Zhytomyr–Berdychiv offensive in late 1943, and was given the battle flag and traditions of the first formation in early 1944 to preserve historical continuity. The division became a motor rifle division in 1957. The full name of the division was the 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Motor Rifle Berdychivska, Iron, Order of the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

, Thrice Red Banner, Orders of

Suvorov Count Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov-Rymniksky, Prince of Italy () was a Russian general and military theorist in the service of the Russian Empire. Born in Moscow, he studied military history as a young boy and joined the Imperial Russian ...

and

Bohdan Khmelnytsky Zynoviy Bohdan Mykhailovych Khmelnytsky of the Abdank coat of arms (Ruthenian language, Ruthenian: Ѕѣнові Богданъ Хмелнiцкiи; modern , Polish language, Polish: ; 15956 August 1657) was a Ruthenian nobility, Ruthenian noble ...

Division. In 1992, it was taken over by Ukraine and became the 24th Mechanized Division. In 2003, it was downsized to a brigade. The brigade saw its first combat in almost 70 years during 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 ...

from 2014. Its Soviet honorifics were progressively removed and replaced with the King Daniel of Galicia honorific following the beginning of the war in Donbas.

History

Formation and early wars

The division was formed on the order of the

Revolutionary Military Council The Revolutionary Military Council (), sometimes called the Revolutionary War Council Brian PearceIntroductionto Fyodor Raskolnikov s "Tales of Sub-lieutenant Ilyin." or ''Revvoyensoviet'' (), was the supreme military authority of Soviet Rus ...

on July 26, 1918, from voluntary groups under the name 1st Simbirsk Infantry Division. In November 1918 it was renamed as the 24th Simbirsk Rifle Division. It actively participated in the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

in the

Volga The Volga (, ) is the longest river in Europe and the longest endorheic basin river in the world. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catchment ...

region, in the Southern Urals Mountains, and in

Polissya Polesia, also called Polissia, Polesie, or Polesye, is a natural (geographic) and historical region in Eastern Europe within the East European Plain, including the Belarus–Ukraine border region and part of eastern Poland. This region should ...

and

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

. At this time one of its regimental commanders was a future Army General

Maksim Purkayev Maksim Alexeyevich Purkayev (; January 1, 1953) was a Soviet Union, Soviet military leader, reaching service rank of Army General. Biography Purkayev was conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army in 1915, and reached the rank of prapor ...

. In 1922 it was renamed as the 24th Samaro-Simbirsk Iron Rifle Division. In 1924 it was again renamed as the 24th Samaro-Ulyanovsk Iron Rifle Division. In 1939–1940, during the Russo-Finnish War the division distinguished itself during the breaking of the Mannerheim Line on the Karelian isthmus.

World War II

The division participated in fighting from the first days after the

German invasion of the Soviet Union Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along a ...

in 1941. The division staff showed mass heroism when the German opponents arrived in the Lidy area. It also took part in the Kyiv defensive operation, and as part of the 21st Rifle Corps and

13th Army Thirteenth Army or 13th Army may refer to: * Thirteenth Army (Japan) * Japanese Thirteenth Area Army * 13th Army (Russian Empire), unit in World War I *13th Army (RSFSR), a unit in the Russian Civil War *13th Army (Soviet Union) The 13th Army (, ...

, was involved in heavy defensive fighting in Belarus. Reportedly because the divisional colours were lost in the Minsk area, it was disbanded on December 27, 1941. It was found out later that the instructor of the political department of the division, Senior Commissar A. V. Barbashev had the colour while the division was trying to break out of the German encirclement. Barbashev died on August 6, 1941, near Anyutino village Cherykaw District Mogilev Oblast. Local farmer D.N. Tyapin later found the stained Colour of the division on the officers corpse. He buried the body and the Colour in the local cemetery. After the clearing of the village of Anyutino by the Red Army, the Divisional Colour was taken out of the cemetery and restored. On February 20, 1944, it was solemnly handed in a

Presentation of Colours The Presentation of Colours is a military ceremony that marks an anniversary or significant event in the history of a particular regiment or similar military unit. This involves the presentation of a new version of the Military colours, stan ...

ceremony to the 24th Rifle Division (2nd formation). D.N. Tyapin was honoured for having found the division's Colour by being listed on the rolls of the 1st company of one of the division's regiments.

2nd formation

The 24th Rifle Division was re-formed on 7 January 1942 by renumbering the 412th Rifle Division, which had been formed in

Kirov Oblast Kirov Oblast ( rus, Кировская область, p=ˈkʲirəfskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is the city of Kirov. As of the 2010 census, the population ...

as part of the

Arkhangelsk Military District The Arkhangelsk Military District () was a regional Military districts of the Soviet Union, military district of the Red Army which oversaw the North-Western part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. The district was formed in 1940 ...

in December 1941 from the 48th Reserve Rifle Brigade. The 412th included the 1355th, 1357th, and 1358th Rifle Regiments in addition to the 1022nd Artillery Regiment and the 910th Separate Communications Battalions, along with smaller units. It was relocated to the southwestern part of

Vologda Oblast Vologda Oblast (, ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is Vologda. The oblast has a population of 1,202,444 (Russian Census (2010), 2010 Census). The largest city is Cherepovets, t ...

before being renumbered as the 24th. The new division did not inherit the traditions of the Iron Division, although it reused the regimental numbers of the latter. Personnel from the 29th Reserve Rifle Brigade and the 385th Howitzer Artillery Regiment formed the new 24th along with others from the Arkhangelsk Military District. During the war this division was part of armies in the

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

, Kalinin,

Stalingrad Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...

, Don, and

Southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west— ...

fronts, from April until May 1944. In 1945 it was part of the 18th Army of the

4th Ukrainian Front The 4th Ukrainian Front () was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, by renaming the Southern Front and was involved in the Lower ...

. The Division participated in the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad ; see . rus, links=on, Сталинградская битва, r=Stalingradskaya bitva, p=stəlʲɪnˈɡratskəjə ˈbʲitvə. (17 July 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II, ...

, the Donbas offensive operation, clearing of Left-bank Ukraine, in Zhytomyr–Berdychiv offensive, Kamianets–Podilskyi pocket, Lviv–Sandomierz offensive, East - Carpathian, Western - Carpathian, Moravia - Ostrava and the Prague offensive operations. The division's combat actions finished on June 24, 1945, 100 km away from

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. The last platoon of the division, led by Captain Klyuyev, took part in the

Moscow Victory Parade of 1945 The 1945 Moscow Victory Parade (), also known as the Parade of Victors (), was a victory parade held by the Soviet Armed Forces (with the Color Guard Company representing the First Polish Army) after the defeat of Nazi Germany. This, the longest ...

. On July 10, 1945, the division was disbanded, and its number given to the 294th Rifle Division, which became the 24th Rifle Division (3rd formation).

Cold War

In June 1957, the 24th Rifle Division became the 24th Motor Rifle Division. The redesignation occurred at

Lviv Oblast Lviv Oblast (, ), also referred to as Lvivshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast in western Ukraine. The capital city, capital of the oblast is the city of Lviv. The current population is History Name The region is named ...

Carpathian Military District The Red Banner Carpathian Military District (, ) was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces during the Cold War and subsequently of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the early Post-Soviet period. It was established on 3 May 1946 on the ...

, and the division, later brigade, has been based there since that date. On 21 February 1968, it was awarded the

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

. In 1982, the division was to be upgraded to an army corps (on the lines of the 5th Guards and 48th Guards in Belorussia and the Transbaikal), but the plans were cancelled. The division was used as a testbed for new equipment. By the late 1980s the division's honorific titles included "Samaro-Ylyanovskaya, Zheleznaya, Berdichevskaya, four times Red Banner orders of the October Revolution, Suvorov and Bogdan Khmelnitskiy Motorised Rifle Division."

Part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

After the disintegration of the Soviet Union the division became part of the

. On April 19, 2001, by the decree of

Leonid Kuchma Leonid Danylovych Kuchma (, ; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine, serving from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. The only president of Ukraine to serve two terms, his presidency was marked by demo ...

N 268/2001, the division was awarded the designation

Daniel of Halych Daniel Romanovich (1201–1264) was Prince of Galicia (1205–1207; 1211–1212; 1230–1232; 1233–1234; 1238–1264), Volhynia (1205–1208; 1215–1238), Grand Prince of Kiev (1240), and King of Ruthenia (1253–1264). Biography Early lif ...

. In 2003 the division was redesignated as 24th Mechanized Brigade "Daniel of Galicia". The brigade fought in the

in 2014 and 2015. In September 2014 elements of the brigade were alleged to have abandoned their positions after suffering heavy losses. On 18 November 2015, the brigade's full title was shortened to remove Soviet awards and honorifics, and it became the 24th Berdichev Iron Mechanized Brigade "Prince Daniel of Galicia". On 23 August 2017, the honorifics were changed, with the brigade dropping the remaining Soviet titles and becoming the 24th Mechanized Brigade "King Daniel of Galicia". In February 2016, soldiers of the brigade's 1st Battalion conducted training with American, Canadian and Lithuanian instructors in Lviv. In 2018 the brigade fought again in the war in Donbas and was stationed on the frontline near

Horlivka Horlivka ( ; , ), also known as Gorlovka (, ), is a city in Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. Its population is Economic activity is predominantly coal mining and the chemical industry. The Horlivka Institute for Foreign Languages has a two-building ...

. As of December 2019, 152 soldiers of the brigade were killed during the war in Donbas.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

From the start of the invasion the 24th Mechanized Brigade was involved in numerous engagements against the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (), also known as the Russian Army in English, are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces are the protection of the state borders, combat on land, ...

, the

Wagner Group The Wagner Group (), officially known as PMC Wagner (, ), is a Russian state-funded private military company (PMC) controlled 2023 Wagner Group plane crash, until 2023 by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former close ally of Russia's president Vladimir Pu ...

, and the separatists of the

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR; , ) is Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupied territory in Ukraine that the Russian Federation has claimed to annex and declared as a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia, comprising parts o ...

and the

Luhansk People's Republic The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR; , ) is a disputed territory administered as a republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, with its capital in Luhansk. The LPR was proclaimed by Russian-backed paramilitar ...

such as the

battle of Lysychansk The battle of Lysychansk was a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine in the wider Battle of Donbas (2022), battle of Donbas of the eastern Ukraine campaign during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By May 2022, Lysychansk and its twin ci ...

and the battle of Donbas. Colonel Valery Hudz, the commander of the brigade, was killed in action in

Luhansk Oblast Luhansk Oblast (; ), also referred to as Luhanshchyna (), is the easternmost Administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Luhansk. The oblast was established in 1938 and bore the n ...

on 12 March 2022. The 24th Brigade held the defense of

Popasna Popasna (; ; known as Imeni Kahanovycha from around 1930 to 1944) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city in Sievierodonetsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Popasna urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. I ...

in Luhansk Oblast until April 2022, at which point the Ukrainian military withdrew from the city. After Popasna, the brigade held the defense of Zolote,

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 ...

. It was later sent to

Kherson Oblast Kherson Oblast (, ; ), also known as Khersonshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in southern Ukraine. It is located just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson, on the northern or right bank ...

to participate in the Ukrainian counteroffensive there. It took part in the defense of

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 ...

, and as of January 2024, was stationed on the

front 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 ...

Order of battle

Russo-Finnish War

*7th Rifle Regiment *168th Rifle Regiment *274th Rifle Regiment *246th Guards Artillery Regiment *160th Reconnaissance Battalion *315th Separate Armor Battalion

Late Soviet period c. 1988

*181st Tank Regiment *7th Motor Rifle Regiment (

Lvov Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

) *310th Motor Rifle Regiment (Рава-Русская) *274th Motor Rifle Regiment *849th Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment *257th Guards Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment

2000

* 181st Separate Armor Regiment * 7th Mechanized Regiment * 274th Mechanized Regiment * 310th Mechanized Regiment * 56th Signal Battalion * 29th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion * 30th Chemical Battalion * 306th Engineer Battalion * 849th Artillery Regiment * 396th Combat Service Support Battalion

2023

*Headquarters & Headquarters Company,

* 1st Mechanized Battalion * 2nd Mechanized Battalion * 3rd Mechanized Battalion "Iron Bulls" * 3rd Motorized Battalion * Tank Battalion * Field Artillery Group ** Headquarters & Target Acquisition Battery ** Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (

2S3 Akatsiya The SO-152 (Russian: СО-152), usually known by its Main Missile and Artillery Directorate, GRAU designation 2S3 (), is a Soviet Union, Soviet 152.4 mm self-propelled gun developed in 1968, as a response to the American 155 mm M109 how ...

) ** Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (

2S1 Gvozdika The 2S1 ''Gvozdika'' (, "Dianthus caryophyllus, Carnation") is a Soviet Self-propelled artillery, self-propelled howitzer introduced in 1972 and is in service in Russia and other countries . It is based on the MT-LBu multi-purpose chassis, mount ...

) ** Rocket Artillery Battalion (

BM-21 Grad The BM-21 "Grad" () is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first combat use in March 1969 during the Sino-S ...

) ** Anti-tank Artillery Battalion (

MT-12 Rapira 2A19 or T-12 is a Soviet-designed 100-mm anti-tank gun. It was the first anti-tank gun to adopt a smoothbore barrel, and to introduce modern armor piercing shot, like the APFSDS. It uses long projectiles that are more powerful than its caliber ...

) * Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion * Rarog_drone_group

Unmanned Strike Aviation Systems Battalion " Raróh". Established in April 2023. * Combat Engineer Battalion * Maintenance Battalion * Logistics Battalion * Reconnaissance Company * Sniper Company * Electronic Warfare Company * Signal Company * Radar Company *

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN defense) or Nuclear, biological, and chemical protection (NBC protection) is a class of protective measures taken in situations where chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclea ...

Company * Medical Company * Brigade Band

Traditions

Symbols

In 2017, the brigade developed a symbolism and motto: "Milites Regum" (translated from Latin: "King's infantry"). The motto is in Latin, the classic language of heraldry, and is connected to the life of King Daniel, for his coronation was held according to the Catholic coronation rites in Dorohochyn. On 10 November 2017, the official description of the new brigade symbols was published. The emblem is a shield that is red on one side and green on the other, with the lion, the main symbol of the brigade, in the center.

Unofficial anthem

In October 2014, ''The Vyo'' vocalist Myroslav Kuvaldin and other volunteers visited the Luhansk region where they talked to soldiers of the brigade. As a result of the visit, Kuvaldin decided to write an unofficial anthem for the brigade.

Museum

The Museum of the History of the Troops of the

() is a military history museum in Lviv depicting the history of the Soviet-era district, being located on Stryjska Street on the territory of the 7th Regiment of the 24th Mechanized Brigade. It was inaugurated on 7 May 1965 on the eve of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. In 1995, due to lack of funds for the maintenance of the museum, the district authorities put it up for sale, and in 1999 a multi-story hotel was to be built there. Upon construction ending at the request of members of the Lviv City Council, Lieutenant General Petro Shulyak decided to transfer the funds of the former museum to the premises of the Iron Division Museum.

Honours and awards

*1918 - awarded Honorable banner of

Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet () was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, establ ...

*On September, 28th 1918 awarded the Revolutionary Red Banner of Honor *On December, 13th 1920 was given the honorable name "Samara" *On October, 25th 1921 was given the honorable name "Iron" *1928 awarded the Revolutionary Red Banner of Honor *On February, 1st 1933 received the

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

*On April, 11th 1940 received the

(for operations in

Winter war The Winter War was a war between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet invasion of Finland on 30 November 1939, three months after the outbreak of World War II, and ended three and a half months later with the Moscow Peac ...

) *January 1944 has received the honorable name «Berdychivskaya» *1944 received

Order of Suvorov The Order of Suvorov () is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named in honor of Russian Generalissimo Prince Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). History The Order of Suvorov was originally a Soviet Union, Soviet award established on ...

of 2nd class (for clearing of the city of

Chernivtsi Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also #Names, other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivt ...

) *1944 received Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 2nd degree (for an output(exit) in foothills of Carpathian mountains) *October 5, 1967, received the

*1978 received the

*On May 19, 2001, awarded

Danylo of Halych Daniel Romanovich (1201–1264) was Prince of Galicia (1205–1207; 1211–1212; 1230–1232; 1233–1234; 1238–1264), Volhynia (1205–1208; 1215–1238), Grand Prince of Kiev (1240), and King of Ruthenia (1253–1264). Biography Early lif ...

designation. *On August 23, 2017, awarded King Daniel of Galicia designation. *On May 6, 2022, received honorary citation "For Courage and Bravery"

Individual honors upon personnel

*17 soldiers of the division were awarded Gold Star of the

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. *About 9,000 of the Division's soldiers received state awards and medals of the Soviet Union for individual conduct for service to the country in the Second World War

Notable personnel

Notable division personnel included: *Chairman of the Supreme body of USSR

Nikolai Shvernik Nikolai Mikhailovich Shvernik (, – 24 December 1970) was a Soviet politician who served as the second chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (head of state) from 1946 until 1953. Though he was the head of state, Shvernik had very lit ...

*The marshal of Soviet Union Ivan Stepanovich Konev *6 generals of army, 2 commanders of 2-nd rank, 11 general-colonels, 25 general-lieutenants, 68 general-majors. * Igor Rodionov, later Russian Defence Minister - during Soviet period as 24th Motor Rifle Division *Defector '

Viktor Suvorov Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun (; ; born 20 April 1947), known by his pseudonym of Viktor Suvorov (), is a former Soviet GRU officer who is the author of non-fiction books about World War II, the GRU and the Soviet Army, as well as fictional books ...

' (Viktor Rezun)

Commanders

* G. Dmitrievich Guy - July 27 – November 20, 1918 * Pavlovskiy V. I. - November 20, 1918 – February 2, 1919 * Vilymson E. F. - February 2 – April 25, 1919 * Myretov M. V. - April 25–30, 1919 * Pavlovskiy V. I. - April 30, 1919 – July 21, 1920 * Myretov M. V. - July 21, 1920 – January 11, 1921 *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Vasiliev - January 1938 - * Major Filipp Fedorovich Alyabushev - August–December 1936 *

Pyotr Yevgenyevich Veshchev - June 1938 – December 6, 1939 (KIA) * Major General

Kuzma Galitsky Kuzma Nikitovich Galitsky (; 24 October 189714 March 1973) was a Soviet army general who earned the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Biography Kuzma Galitsky was born on 24 October 1897 in the city of Taganrog into a worker's family. He studied a ...

- December 23, 1939 – July 1941 Galitsky's order of withdrawal of command was dated on 26 December 1941, but he had been in other positions since July. * Major General Terenty Batsanov - 15 July – 20 September 1941 * Major General Fedor Alexandrovich Prohorov January 1, 1942 – May 11, 1945 * Major general

Mykhailo Kutsyn Mykhailo Mykolayovych Kutsyn (; born 15 August 1957) is a Ukrainian Lieutenant General, who served as a Chief of the General Staff (Ukraine), Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Volodymyr Kysilyov 1999–2001 * Major general Ihor Ostapenko 2002–2004 * Lieutenant colonel Oleksiy Zheleznyk 2004–2005 * Lieutenant colonel Lendar Kharakhalil - July 12, 2007 *

Volodymyr Trunovskyi July 12, 2007 – 2010 * Colonel Oleksandr Pavliuk 2010–2015 * Colonel Anatoliy Shevchenko February 2015 – August 2017 * Colonel

Valeriy Hudz Valerii Fedorovych Hudz (; 12 February 1971 – 12 March 2022) was a Ukrainian serviceman. Career Hudz's military career began in 1999, and ended in 2001. In 2014, following the Revolution of Dignity and the start of the War in Donbas (2014� ...

December 2017 - August 2020 (KIA in 2022) * Colonel Serhiy Postupalskyi October 2020 - March 2022 (WIA) * Colonel Roman Mamavko March 2022 – September 2022 * Colonel Ivan Holishevskyi September 2022 - present

References

Bibliography

* Славой овеянная. // - Саратов, 1978 * Вербинский М. В., Ключников И. С. .Живут традиции боевые. // - Москва, 1973 * Беляев А.П. Подвиг продолжается. // - Moscow, изд-во

DOSAAF DOSAAF (), full name ''Volunteer Society for the Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy'' (), was a paramilitary sport organization in the Soviet Union that was concerned mainly with weapons, automobiles and aviation. The society was establ ...

, 1972. The book draws extensives on divisional memoirs, and describes the exploits of the divisional reconnaissance battalion. * Беляев А.П. Не померкнет никогда... // - Moscow, 1978. *

External links

*V.A. Andrianov
The legendary Iron Division is 85
Military Thought, 2003 {{Ukrainian Ground Forces Mechanized brigades of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2003 Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner Military units and formations of the Soviet Union in the Winter War Military units and formations of Ukraine in the war in Donbas Military units and formations of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine