The 72nd Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians is a mechanized infantry brigade formation 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 ...

. It was founded during

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 ...

as 29th Rifle Division (2nd formation) of the

Soviet Ground Forces The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

. In 1943 it was restructured as the 72nd Guards Rifle Division of the

. In 1957, it became a motor rifle division. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the 72nd Guards Mechanized Division of the Soviet Ground Forces became the 72nd Guards Mechanized Division of the

Ukrainian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are the Military, military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rad ...

. In 2014, the brigade participated in the Ukrainian-Russian war in Donbas as part of the so-called Anti-Terrorist Operation. In summer of 2014, units of the brigade fought hard on the Russian-Ukrainian border, in the Azov region, and, in winter of 2016, in the industrial zone near

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 ...

. In August 2017, the brigade received an honorary title after the military formation of the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...

, the Black Zaporozhian Cavalry Regiment. The brigade is actively protecting Ukrainian territory in 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 ...

. The brigade participated in battles in the

Kyiv Oblast Kyiv Oblast (, ), also called Kyivshchyna (, ), is an Administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, which is administered as a city with special sta ...

and in the

Donbas The Donbas (, ; ) or Donbass ( ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. The majority of the Donbas is occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The word ''Donbas'' is a portmanteau formed fr ...

History

World War II

The 29th Rifle Division (2nd formation) was redesignated the 72nd Guards Rifle Division by Directorate of the

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, Enlisted rank, enlisted, and civilian staff who serve the commanding officer, commander of a ...

order No.104 on 1 March 1943. The units of the division were renumbered as follows: On March 3, 1943, 72nd Guards Rifle Division was involved in battles for liberation of

Belgorod Belgorod (, ) is a city that serves as the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River, approximately north of the border with Ukraine. It has a population of It was founded in 1596 as a defensiv ...

. Soon they were near

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

and

Krasnohrad Berestyn (, ), formerly known as Krasnohrad () or Krasnograd, is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. From 1784 to 1922, it was known as Kostiantynohrad. It serves as the administrative center of Berestyn Raion. Berestyn hosts the administration of ...

. On 19 September, the division was awarded the title

. On 8 January 1944, the division was awarded 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 ...

. The division fought in the Budapest Offensive from late October 1944. On 15 December, units of the division reinforced Cavalry Mechanized Group Pliev during the attack on

Szécsény Szécsény is a town in Nógrád county, Hungary. Etymology The name comes from the Slavic ''sečь'': cutting (''Sečany''). 1219/1550 ''Scecen''. History The valley of the Ipoly and especially the area of that around Szécsény was inhabite ...

. On 9 January, the division was attached to the 24th Guards Rifle Corps. The division captured the area around Bart. The division's attack was stopped by the 1st Battalion of Grenadier Regiment 317 a kilometer north of the village.

Cold War

In May 1946, the division became the 7th Guards Rifle Brigade, part of the 33rd Guards Rifle Corps. In October 1953, it became a division again. The 72nd Guards Rifle Division became a motor rifle division stationed in the

Kyiv Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

Bila Tserkva Bila Tserkva ( ; , ) is a city in central Ukraine. It is situated on the Ros (river), Ros River in the historical region of right-bank Ukraine. It is the largest city in Kyiv Oblast (which does not include the city of Kyiv) and serves as the ...

on 4 June 1957. It was part of the

1st Guards Army (Soviet Union) The 1st Guards Army was a Soviet Guards field army that fought on the Eastern Front during World War II. First Formation On August 6, 1942, the army formed from the 2nd Reserve Army with five Guards Rifle Divisions, the 37th, 38th, 39th, 40 ...

. On 19 February 1962, the 280th Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated. A missile battalions was also activated on the same day. In 1968, the 220th Separate Guards Sapper Battalion became an Engineer Sapper Battalion. In 1972, the 191st Separate Chemical Defence Company became the 23rd Separate Chemical Defence Battalion. The 1345th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion was activated on 15 November 1972. At some point between 1970 and 1980 the 1129th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment became the 1129th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment, equipped with

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...

s. The motor transport battalion became the 892nd Separate Material Supply Battalion in 1980. In 1990, the division was equipped with 133

T-64 The T-64 is a Soviet tank manufactured in Kharkiv, and designed by Alexander Morozov. The tank was introduced in the early 1960s. It was a more advanced counterpart to the T-62: the T-64 served in tank divisions, while the T-62 supported i ...

main battle tanks. During the Cold War, the division was maintained at 25% strength, with one full strength regiment.

Ukraine

After the fall of the Soviet Union it was transferred to Ukraine. In 1992, Colonel Volodymyr Lytvyntsev – Commander 72nd Guards Motor Rifle Division of the

was given the rank of Major General. On August 23, 1995, Colonel Nikolai Nikolaevich Tsytsyursky, Commander 72nd Mechanized Infantry Division of the 1st Army Corps of the

Odesa Military District The Odessa Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This district consisted of Moldavia and five Ukrainian oblasts of Odesa (then spelled ''Odessa''), Mykolaiv, Kherson, Crimea an ...

, was given the rank of Major-General. In accordance with a decree of August 23, 1998, division commander Colonel Grigoriy Pedchenko was promoted to major-general. On June 29, 1999, the 72nd Guards Mechanized Division of the Operational Command North of the

Armed Forces of Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are the Military, military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rad ...

was given the honorary title of "Kyiv". It was reduced in size to a mechanized brigade in 2002. In May 2014 72nd Guards Mechanized Brigade was involved in the Mariupol standoff 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 ...

.ATO organization criticizes the Donbas

Ukrayinska Pravda ''Ukrainska Pravda'' is a Ukrainian socio-political online media outlet founded by Heorhii Gongadze in April 2000. After Gongadze’s death in September 2000, the editorial team was led by co-founder Olena Prytula, who remained the editor-in ...

(12 May 2014) During this conflict Ukrainian singers

Zlata Ognevich Zlata Leonidivna Ognevich (; born Inna Leonidivna Bordiuh, on 12 January 1986) is a Ukrainian singer and former politician. She represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö with the song "Gravity", placing third. Ognevich ...

and

Anastasia Prikhodko Anastasia Kostyantynivna Prikhodko (; born 21 April 1987) is a Ukrainian activist, politician, and singer-songwriter. Known for her deep contralto singing voice and blend of folk rock and pop music, pop music, Prikhodko announced that she would ...

raised money for the Brigade. The brigade defended Sector D near

Chervonopartyzansk Voznesenivka () or Chervonopartyzansk (; ) is a city in Dovzhansk urban hromada, Dovzhansk Raion (district) of Luhansk Oblast in Ukraine. Population: Geography The city is located in southeastern Luhansk Oblast in the middle of the main Donet ...

, Sverdlovsk and Diakove alongside the 51st Mechanized Brigade from July 2014. Separatist and Russian attacks resulted in the brigade being surrounded and cut off from supply by early August. The brigade's 1st Battalion and elements of the 51st Brigade, along with a group of border guards (about 400 total), destroyed their weapons and crossed into Russia. They were interned and returned to Ukrainian territory. Major Mykhailo Drapatyi's 2nd Battalion of the brigade near Chernopartyzhansk broke out of the encirclement, covered by the 30th Mechanized and 95th Airmobile Brigades from the south. Two soldiers from the 2nd Battalion were killed in the breakout. The convoy in which 195 soldiers of the brigade returned to Ukrainian territory after crossing into Russia on 4 August 2014 was fired on by separatists. On 18 November 2015 the brigade's honorific "Red Banner" was removed as part of an Armed Forces-wide removal of Soviet awards and honorifics. On 22 August 2016, its Guards title was removed. Its honorifics "Krasnohrad–Kyiv" were removed and replaced with the honorific ''Black Zaporozhian'' in honor of the

Ukrainian People's Army The Ukrainian People's Army (), also known as the Ukrainian National Army (UNA) or by the derogatory term Petliurivtsi (, ), was the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1921). They were often quickly reorganized units of the former I ...

Black Zaporizhian Cavalry Regiment on 23 August 2017.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Defense of Kyiv

On the morning of 24 February 2022, the

Russian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Russian Ground Forces, Ground Forces, Russian Navy, Navy, and Russi ...

invaded Ukraine. The 72nd Mechanized Brigade was one of few maneuver formations defending Ukraine's capital,

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, to include a number of

special operations Special operations or special ops are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment." Special operations ma ...

national guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

, and hastily formed Territorial Defense Forces which all told, formed an estimated 20,000 infantry force. The 72nd Brigade was assigned to defend a frontage of approximately 70 kilometers in the form of a "180-degree arc" from just west of Kyiv to

Brovary Brovary (, ; ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city in Kyiv Oblast, northern Ukraine, situated to the east of the capital Kyiv and part of the Kyiv metropolitan area. It serves as the administrative centre of Brovary Raion. Brovary hosts t ...

at its east. The Ukrainian army was under the impression that if Kyiv were to be attacked, the main Russian assault would come from the direction of

Chernihiv Chernihiv (, ; , ) is a city and municipality in northern Ukraine, which serves as the administrative center of Chernihiv Oblast and Chernihiv Raion within the oblast. Chernihiv's population is The city was designated as a Hero City of Ukraine ...

in the northeast, and thus the majority of the 72nd Brigade, comprising its 1st and 3rd Mechanized Battalions, artillery, anti-tank, and other support units, was deployed from its base in

to Kyiv's eastern flank by 22 February. The brigade's 2nd Mechanized Battalion was deployed to defend a 22-kilometer line northwest of Kyiv along the

Irpin River The Irpin () or Irpen () is a river in Ukraine, a right tributary of the Dnieper River. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Irpin city is one of the urban settlements beside the river.Horenka to

Lyutizh Lyutizh (; - Lyutezh) is a village 30 km to the north of Kyiv in Vyshhorod Raion of Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, with some 2280 inhabitants (2006). It belongs to Petrivtsi rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The village, first mentione ...

. The 2nd Battalion was assigned the expected secondary role, in part, because it was understrength; a publication by ''The British Army Review'' estimated that the battalion numbered fewer than 150 soldiers on 24 February, though its ranks were filled by volunteers soon after the invasion. After initial reconnoitering of the region on 17-18 February, the 72nd Brigade's deputy commander assigned the battalion's 4th Company to Horenka, its 5th Company to

Moshchun Moshchun or Moschun () is a village ( selo) in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It belongs to the Hostomel settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Most of the village was destroyed during Russia's attempt to capture Kyiv as part o ...

and the outskirts of , and its 6th Company to

Huta-Mezhyhirska Huta-Mezhyhirska () is a village in Vyshhorod Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) in Kyiv Oblast of Ukraine. It belongs to Petrivtsi rural hromada, Kyiv Oblast, Petrivtsi rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. On 13 March 2022, during ...

and Lyutizh. The battalion's vehicles arrived to the operational area in the early morning hours of 24 February. Its personnel began deploying to their positions as the initial 05:00 Russian bombardment of Ukraine began and throughout the rest of the morning, and quickly began digging trenches and fighting positions. In several cases, the delivery of weapons and ammunition was severely delayed. Newly enlisted civilian volunteers arrived on the night of 24 February, and throughout 25 and 26 February. The Russian

35th Military units *35th Fighter Wing, an air combat unit of the United States Air Force *35th Infantry Division (United States), a formation of the National Guard since World War I *35th Infantry Regiment (United States), a regiment created on 1 July 1 ...

, 36th, and 41st Combined Arms armies barreled down roads from

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

and southern Russian towards Kyiv. The brigade met their formations armed with western supplied weaponry such as

FGM-148 Javelin The FGM-148 Javelin, or Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium (AAWS-M), is an American-made man-portable anti-tank system in service since 1996 and continuously upgraded. It replaced the M47 Dragon anti-tank missile in US service. Its fire-and-f ...

and

NLAW The Saab Bofors Dynamics NLAW ( ), also known as the MBT LAW or RB 57, is a fire-and-forget, lightweight shoulder-fired, and disposable (single-use) line of sight (LOS) missile system, designed for infantry use. The missile uses a soft-laun ...

destroying tanks from as far as a mile away. The brigade's primary role, however, was reconnaissance of the Russian formations and to provide targeting data to the two artillery brigades including the 44th Artillery for strikes. Ukraine's artillery was used to great effect and reduced cohesion among Russian battalions. According to a publication by ''The British Army Review'', interviews with Ukrainian soldiers indicated that the 72nd Brigade was severely understrength on 24 February; an engineer battalion was meant to have 170 soldiers but only had 36. Ukraine's top general,

Valerii Zaluzhnyi Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi (; born 8 July 1973) is a Ukrainian four-star general and diplomat who is currently serving as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 2 ...

, recognized the danger Russia's

airhead An airhead is a designated area in a hostile or threatened territory which, when seized and held, allows the air landing of further teams and materiel via an airbridge, and provides the maneuver and preparation space necessary for projected oper ...

Hostomel Hostomel (, ) is a Rural settlement#Ukraine, rural settlement in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located northwest of the capital Kyiv. It hosts the administration of Hostomel settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Populatio ...

posed to Ukraine's capital and ordered the brigade to organize a counterattack. With the 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade, and support from the

Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force (, PS ZSU) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU). Its current form was created in 2004 by merging the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces into the Air Fo ...

, launched their attack on the Russian forces who lacked armour support but had

close air support Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires ...

in the form of at least two Su-25's. As the operation progressed, more Ukrainian units from the Georgian Legion and Air Assault Forces joined the fight, denying Russia the ability to fly in troops via

Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 (; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau as a commercial freighter in 1967, to replace the Antonov An-12. ...

. Ukrainian units surrounded the airport by the evening and forced the remaining Russian troops into nearby forests. Later, the 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade posted on their

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

an image of Ukrainian soldiers celebrating while holding a bullet-riddled flag inside

Hostomel Airport Antonov Airport ( ), also known as Hostomel (or Gostomel) Airport (), is an international cargo airport and testing facility in Ukraine, located near Hostomel, which is a northwestern suburb of Kyiv. The airport is owned by and named after the ...

. The brigade continued to apply pressure to Russian vanguard formations destroying a number of tanks and IFV's fixing the beleaguered units in place while serving as forward observers for continued artillery strikes. The majority of losses came when the Russian units were concentrated by artillery fire, stalling their advance for several days and leading to the infamous 40-mile convoy north of Kyiv. Now stalled, Ukrainian units across the front counterattacked, squeezing the Russian units into narrow corridors to make their situation untenable. In

, the brigade ambushed a Russian armoured column from the 90th Guards Tank Division hitting the first and last vehicle while trapping the middle vehicles. The Ukrainians were unable to cut off the Russian's route of escape causing many of their forces to flee into nearby forests. Despite their retreat, heavy fighting continued in the surrounding area for several days. Russian forces were reported to have shot civilians suspected in aiding the Ukrainian forces during the fighting. On 29 March, the

Russian Ministry of Defence The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (; MOD) is the governing body of the Russian Armed Forces. The President of Russia is the Commander-in-Chief of the forces and directs the activity of the ministry. The Minister of Defence exerci ...

ordered its forces in the

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

to retreat and were later redeployed for the fighting in the east. On 1 April, the city's mayor claimed Ukrainian forces pushed the Russian forces out of Brovary.

Operations in eastern Ukraine

The 72nd Brigade was deployed to eastern Ukraine after the successful defense of Kyiv. Throughout summer, the brigade participated in the Donbas offensive, namely the

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 ...

area fighting in the battle of Bakhmut. Heavy fighting in the area resulted in substantial casualties to the brigade's professional soldiers causing many of their positions to be replaced by conscripts. The brigade's reconnaissance company was reduced from 128 men to 82 due to casualties. Sometime in August, the brigade was redeployed to Pavlivka. The brigade assessed that 600 Russian troops and 30 armored vehicles entered their area of operation culminating in a battle in late October. On November 3, the Russian

155th Naval Infantry Brigade The 155th Separate Guards Kursk Orders of Zhukov and Suvorov Naval Infantry Brigade () is a brigade-sized formation of the Russian Naval Infantry. It is located in the city of Vladivostok and the village of Slovianka, Primorsky Krai. It is par ...

committed its forces to the battle. The brigade's commander released a video intended for the governor of the Primorsky Oblast, the unit's home, asking for help as the brigade suffered 300 casualties. Losses were heavy on both sides and the brigade eventually withdrew. By January 2023, the brigade fortified

Vuhledar Vuhledar (, ; , ), is a city in Volnovakha Raion, Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vuhledar urban hromada. At the beginning of 2022, its population was Vuhledar is a coal mining city in the cultural and eco ...

following Pavlivka's fall against a renewed assault from the 155th Guards Naval Infantry. The Russian advance was initially successful, breaking through frontal lines, however, ultimately failed as casualties mounted due to frontal assaults, lack of ammunition for their organic fire support, the use of their

T-80 The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72 and changing the engine to a gas turbi ...

tanks in an indirect fire role, and lack of staffing to properly organise an offensive. Members of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade destroyed Naval Infantry tanks and a

BMP-3 The BMP-3 is a Soviet and Russian infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP stands for ''Boevaya Mashina Pekhoty'' (, literally "infantry combat vehicle"). Production history The design of the BMP-3 ('' ...

infantry fighting vehicle with their Javelin anti-tank missiles. In September 2024, the brigade was still defending Vuhledar. The deputy commander complained by then to war correspondents that his troops lacked air defences and were "exhausted" because they had had zero rotations since February 2022. The commander Ivan Vinnik was promoted and transferred to a different position amidst a worsening condition for the brigade in Vuhledar. On 1 October 2024, the last surviving elements of the brigade withdrew from the city, which came under full control of the Russian army.

Awards

* March 1, 1943, received the honorable designation "Guards" * January 1944, received

award for clearing the city of

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

* September 20, 1943, received the honorable name "Krasnohradska" * August 23, 2017, received the honorary title "Chornykh Zaporozhtsiv"

Famous people of the division

* Lieutenant Volodymyr Mykheiev – First person in the division to receive

Hero of 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 t ...

award * Oles' Honchar, Oleksandr – Ukrainian writer

Divisional order of battle

1988–1991

Late Soviet Period Structure *222nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment –

*224th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment –

*229th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment –

*292nd Guards Tank Regiment – Honcharivske *155th Guards Artillery Regiment – Smila *1129th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment –

*1345th Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion – Bila Tserkva *117th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion –

*538th Separate Communications Battalion –

*23rd Separate Chemical Defence Battalion – Bila Tserkva *220th Separate Engineer Battalion –

*280th Separate Maintenance Battalion *892nd Combat Service Support Battalion

1992–2002

* Divisional HQ and Headquarters Company * 224th Separate Mechanized Infantry Regiment * 229th Separate Mechanized Infantry Regiment * Separate Tank Battalion * 155th Separate Field Artillery Regiment (Self-Propelled) * 1129th Separate Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment * 1345th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion * 220th Separate Engineer Battalion * 538th Separate Signal Battalion * 117th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion * 23rd Separate Chemical Battalion * 892nd Separate Logistics Battalion * 280th Separate Repair and Recovery Battalion * 149th Separate Medical Battalion

Structure

As of 2024, the brigade's structure is as follows: * 72nd Mechanized Brigade,

** Brigade Headquarters ** 1st Mechanized Battalion ** 2nd Mechanized Battalion ** 3rd Mechanized Battalion *** Strike

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 ...

platoon "Totem" ** Motorized Battalion ** 2nd Rifle Battalion ** 48th Separate Rifle Battalion *** Aerial Reconnaissance Group "Iskander" ** Tank Battalion ** Unmanned Systems Battalion "

Bulava The RSM-56 Bulava (, " mace", NATO reporting names SS-N-30 / SS-NX-32, GRAU index 3M30, 3K30) is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) developed for the Russian Navy and deployed in 2019 on the new of ballistic missile nuclear submari ...

" ** 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 ** Reconnaissance Company ** Engineer Battalion ** Logistic Battalion ** Maintenance Battalion ** Signal Company ** Radar Company ** Medical 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 ** Brigade Band

Traditions

Own symbolism appeared in the division in the second half of the 1990s. In the fall of 1996, the head of the group of socio-psychological department of the 229th Mechanized Regiment of the 72nd Mechanized Division Major V. Peknyi developed a system of sleeve patches for Command and Staff and other units of the division. All emblems were a shield of uniform shape and size, horizontally divided into two halves. The upper part contained symbols of the division: a bow with three arrows taken from coat of arms of

on a fortress wall with a rising sun. The lower part was intended for symbols of individual regiment or battalion. The brigade has a march: "Brave guys, a brave army!". Until 2017, she had the honorary name of Krasnograd-Kyiv. On August 23, 2017, in order to restore the historical traditions of the National Army on the names of military units, given the exemplary completion of the tasks, high rates in combat training and on the occasion of the 26th anniversary. On August 24, 2017, at the Independence Day parade of Ukraine, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko presented the brigade with new colours. On March 7, 2019, the Head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Viktor Muzhenko approved the new symbolism of the brigade. The sketch mark consists of two elements: a wicked emblem and the motto. The emblem contains a British heraldic shield of red, the color of the shield symbolizes belonging to the point of permanent dislocation - the White Church, the color of which is also red. At the heart of the shield is an image of a black triangle, which combines the corners of the shield, which symbolizes the black headdress - the snack of the fighter of the equestrian regiment of the Black Cossacks. In the center of the shield is the image of the Adam's head, which is located on the back of the banners of the Black Cossacks. The deviation tape is a curved ribbon with the motto of the horse regiment of the Black Cossacks "Ukraine or Death" in the middle. In December 2019, the brigade received a personal honorary standard (Korogwa) based on the historical symbolism of the Horse Regiment of Black Cossacks. On May 6, 2022, the brigade was awarded the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery" for its role in the defense of the capital.

Commanders

* Major General Anatoly Losev (1 March 1943 – 24 March 1945) * Lieutenant Colonel Grigory Balatov (25 March 25 April 1945) *

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 ...

Alexander Pankov (26 April 11 May 1945) * Major General

Pyotr Berestov Pyotr Filippovich Berestov (; , Berestovo – November 26, 1961, Zaporozhye) was a Red Army major general during the Second World War. Drafted into the Imperial Russian Army in 1917, Berestov participated in the Russian Revolution. He was draf ...

(July 1945 – January 1947) * Major General Sergiy Bezlishchenko * Colonel Andriy Hryshchenko ( June 2015) * Colonel Andriy Sokolov (June 2015 present)

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72nd Mechanized Brigade
{{Soviet Union divisions Mechanized brigades of Ukraine Military units and formations established in 1941 Military units and formations established in 2002 2002 establishments in Ukraine Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner Military units and formations of Ukraine in the war in Donbas Military units and formations of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine