10th Mountain Assault Brigade (Ukraine)

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10th Mountain Assault Brigade
Ukrainian: 10-та окрема гірсько-штурмова бригада
10th Mountain Assault Brigade Insignia (UA).svg
Active2015–present
Country Ukraine
BranchUkrainian Ground Forces
TypeMountain troops
Part ofOperational Command West
Garrison/HQKolomyia
MUN B3950
EngagementsWar in Donbas
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Vasyl Zubanych

The 10th Mountain Assault Brigade is a mountain warfare brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. It is part of Operational Command West and is based in Kolomyia. Formed in late 2015, the brigade fought in the war in Donbas between May and November 2016, defending positions around Marinka. It again deployed to the Donbas in September 2017, defending positions around Popasna.

History[]

The brigade was formed on 30 October 2015 in Koloymia, part of Operational Command West. It included the 24th Separate Assault Battalion, the former Aidar Battalion.[1] The brigade's first commander was Colonel and Hero of Ukraine Vasyl Zubanych, a former battalion commander in the 128th Mechanized Brigade. In an interview at the time, Zubanych stated that the brigade would be deployed to the Donbas if necessary in a war with Russia.[2] The main purpose of the brigade at the time was to protect Northern Bukovina from Romanian territorial claims.[3][4] The first group of recruits were 1,000 volunteers on a contract basis. There initially was a 25% pay increase offered to recruits, as recognition of their status as mountain troops.[5] In January 2016, it was reported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence that the brigade was ready to begin combat training.[6] As of January 2016 the brigade was stationed at Bila Tserkva pending completion of new barracks in Kolomyia.[7] In February 2016, it was decided by the Ukrainian Ground Forces to form a new Bukovina mountain battalion at Chernivtsi. The 8th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion[8] and the 46th Separate Special-Purpose Battalion "Donbas-Ukraine" also became part of the brigade.[9] The 8th Motorized Infantry, the 24th Assault, and the 46th Separate Special Purpose Battalion formed the entirety of the brigade, consisting of a few thousand men.[10]

The brigade fought in the war in Donbas from 25 May to November 2016. The brigade defended the area around Marinka, Krasnohorivka, Taramchuk, , and . Immediately after the brigade took over its sector, it was shelled by separatist and Russian artillery, mortars, and tanks, mainly at night. The brigade also defended against repeated assaults by Russian and separatist troops. On the Independence Day of Ukraine, 24 August 2016, President Petro Poroshenko presented the brigade its battle flag.[9] Between September and October, four soldiers of the brigade were killed in action.[11] After the end of its tour in the Donbas, the brigade returned to Kolomyia in November.[12] It suffered a total of 22 soldiers killed in action during its combat tour. At this time the 24th Assault and 46th Separate Special Purpose Battalions were withdrawn from the brigade due to a desire to avoid stationing them far from their homes as 80% of their personnel were from eastern Ukraine.[13]

To replace the assault battalions, the 109th and 108th Separate Mountain Assault Battalions were formed on 5 and 11 December, respectively. They were initially understrength due to being drawn from cadres from the 53rd and 54th Mechanized Brigades.[13] After its return to Kolomyia, the brigade began mountain training, which it had not had time to commence before being sent to the front. Its first mountain climb took place on 13 January 2017 on . In the second half of February, brigade personnel climbed Hoverla, the tallest peak in Ukraine, and planted a Ukrainian flag in honor of the Ukrainian dead at the Battle of Debaltseve on the mountain summit.[14]

In September it returned to the Donbas, defending positions around Popasna.[15] A soldier from the brigade was killed in action on 23 September during fighting at Novooleksandrivka.[16]

Current Structure[]

As of 2017 the brigade's structure is as follows:

  • 10th Mountain Assault Brigade, Kolomyia
    • Headquarters & Headquarters Company
    • 1st Mountain Assault Battalion
    • 108th Mountain Assault Battalion
    • 109th Mountain Assault Battalion
    • Tank Battalion
    • 8th Motorized Infantry Battalion
    • Brigade Artillery Group
      • Headquarters & Target Acquisition Battery
      • Artillery Battalion (2A18 D-30)
      • Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S1 Gvozdika)
      • Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)
      • Anti-tank Artillery Battalion (MT-12 Rapira)
    • Anti-Aircraft Missile Artillery Battalion
    • Engineer Battalion
    • Maintenance Battalion
    • Logistic Battalion
    • Reconnaissance Company
    • Sniper Company
    • Electronic Warfare Company
    • Signal Company
    • Radar Company
    • CBRN-defense Company
    • Medical Company

References[]

  1. ^ "10 гірсько-штурмова бригада поповниться легендарним підрозділом, «Айдар» базуватиметься у Коломиї" [10th Mountain Brigade will included the legendary assault unit Aidar based in Kolomyia]. 10brygada.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  2. ^ "На Івано-Франківщині створять нову гірську штурмову бригаду" [Ivano-Frankivsk create new mountain assault brigade]. Styk News (in Ukrainian). 21 September 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Ukrainian Military Pages: В ЗСУ формують 10-ту гірсько-штурмову бригаду" [Ukrainian Military Pages: In the Armed Forces formed the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade]. www.ukrmilitary.com (in Ukrainian). 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  4. ^ "На Прикарпатті створять нову гірську штурмову бригаду - Народна армія" [In the mountainous Carpathian region will create new assault brigade]. na.mil.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Narodna armiya. 22 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  5. ^ "У Коломиї створили нову 10 гірсько-штурмову бригаду" [In Kolomyia created new Mountain-Assault Brigade]. 10brygada.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 21 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  6. ^ "У складі ЗСУ сформували нову гірсько-штурмову бригаду, - Міноборони" [As part of the Armed Forces formed a new mountain-assault brigade - Defense]. Den (in Ukrainian). 13 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Сформовано нову гірсько-штурмову бригаду (Фото)" [New Mountain Assault Brigade formed (Photo)]. Paralleli (in Ukrainian). 14 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-04-21. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  8. ^ "У Чернівецькій області створять окремий гірсько-штурмовий батальйон" [A new separate mountain battalion will be created in Chernivtsi Oblast]. vidido.ua (in Ukrainian). 15 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
  9. ^ a b Ahyeyev, Andriy (30 September 2016). "Бригада — нащадок добробатів святкує свою річницю" [Brigade, descended from volunteers, celebrates anniversary]. Narodnaya Armiya (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2017-10-03. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  10. ^ Miller, Christopher (10 August 2016). "Guns Of August: Fears Of Full-Scale War Return As Casualties Mount In Ukraine". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  11. ^ Goncharova, Olena; Talant, Bermet (14 October 2016). "At least 17 soldiers killed in war with Russia since 'back-to-school ceasefire'". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  12. ^ "10-та окрема гірсько-штурмова бригада повертається з передової у Коломию. ФОТО" [10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade returns to Kolomyia from the front]. Vikna (in Ukrainian). 3 November 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  13. ^ a b Ragutskaya, Liliya (14 October 2017). "У мене в РФ рідня, але я росіян сюди не кликав: як воює на Донбасі наймолодша бригада ЗСУ" [I have family in Russia, but I am not called Russian here: How the youngest Ukrainian Armed Forces brigade fought in the Donbas]. Apostrof (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  14. ^ "Гірські піхотинці 10 огшбр «Едельвейс» взяли найвищу вершину України — Говерлу" [10th ohshbr "Edelweiss" Mountain Infantry take highest peak in Ukraine, Hoverla] (in Ukrainian). Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  15. ^ "НАЙМОЛОДША В ЗСУ: ЯК 10-ТА ШТУРМОВА БРИГАДА СВЯТКУВАЛА РІЧНИЦЮ – СЮЖЕТ" [Youngest in the Armed Forces: The story of how the 10th Brigade celebrated its anniversary]. 5 Kanal (in Ukrainian). 1 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  16. ^ Goncharova, Olena (6 October 2017). "Russia's war against Ukraine has killed at least 2,752 soldiers". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on 2017-10-06. Retrieved 19 October 2017.

External links[]

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