The 65th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Velykyi Luh” () is a brigade 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 ...
.
History
The brigade was officially activated in April 2022.
By December 2022, it had already been deployed to the frontlines, engaging in battles along the
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 ...
direction.
In June 2023, the brigade played a role in
Ukraine’s counteroffensive, spearheading an assault toward
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 ...
, a strategically significant city under Russian occupation.
As part of this operation, Ukrainian forces successfully captured the village of
Robotyne. However, their advance was ultimately halted by entrenched Russian resistance nearby.
Among the standout figures during this campaign was Major Taras Mykhalchuk, known by his call sign "The Spaniard," who served as the deputy commander of the 3rd battalion.
For his leadership in planning and executing the assault on Robotyne, Mykhalchuk was awarded the prestigious
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd class. Reflecting on the operation later, Mykhalchuk admitted that he initially believed his unit’s attack might have been intended as a diversionary maneuver.
The sector around Orikhiv and Robotyne was notorious for being one of the most heavily mined and fortified stretches of the entire frontline.
By September 2024, the brigade remained stationed near
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 ...
in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, holding the same stretch of the front where they had fought since 2022.
On December 20, 2024, the brigade’s steadfast commitment earned formal recognition from President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. He took office five years after the start of the Russo-Ukraini ...
, who bestowed upon it the honorary title “Great Meadow” through a presidential decree.
Structure
As of 2025, the brigade's structure is as follows:
* 65th Mechanized Brigade
** Headquarters & Headquarters Company
** 7th Rifle Battalion
** 56th Rifle Battalion
** 57th Rifle Battalion
** 1st Mechanized Battalion
** 2nd Mechanized Battalion
** 3rd Mechanized Battalion
** Tank Battalion
** Artillery Group
** Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion
** Reconnaissance Company
** Drone Battalion
** Engineer Battalion
** Logistic Battalion
** Signal Company
** Maintenance Battalion
** Radar Company
** Medical Company
** CBRN Protection Company
References
{{Ukrainian Ground Forces
Mechanized brigades of Ukraine
Military units and formations established in 2022
Military units and formations of Ukraine