28th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

28th Mechanized Brigade
(2016–present)

28th Guards Mechanized Brigade
(2001–2016)

28th Guards Motor Rifle Division
(1957–2001)

28th Guards Rifle Division
(1942–1957)
28th Mechanized Brigade; (2016–present) 28th Guards Mechanized Brigade; (2001–2016) 28th Guards Motor Rifle Division; (1957–2001) 28th Guards Rifle Division; (1942–1957)
Ukrainian: 28-ма окрема механізована бригада
	28th Mechanized Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1942–present
Country	Soviet Union; (1930s–1991); CIS (1991–1992); Ukraine; (1992–present)
Branch	Ground Forces
Type	Mechanized Infantry
Size	Brigade
Part of	Operational Command South
Garrison/HQ	Chornomorske; Odesa Oblast, Ukraine
Patron	Knights of the First Winter Campaign
Motto(s)	With Will and Iron
Engagements	World War II; War in Donbas; Russian invasion of Ukraine Southern Ukraine offensive Liberation of Kherson; ; Battle of Donbas Battle of Bakhmut; ; ;
Decorations	; For Courage and Bravery
Commanders
Current; commander	Yuriy Madyar
Notable; commanders	Vitaliy Gulyaev (2021-22) †

The 28th Mechanized Brigade (Ukrainian: 28-ма окрема механізо́вана брига́да імені Лицарів Зимового Походу) is a mechanized brigade and part of the formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.^[5]

History

The original 28th Guards Rifle Division was formed during the Second World War from the 180th Rifle Division in May 1942. The division fought at Kharkiv and Iași. It was with the 37th Army in Bulgaria in May 1945. During the 1980s, the then 28th Guards Motor Rifle Division was part of the 14th Guards Army headquartered at Chișinău, in the Moldavian SSR (Odesa Military District). After the fall of the Soviet Union it became part of the reorganised Ukrainian 6th Army Corps. After the 6th Army Corps was disbanded in 2013, the brigade became part of Operational Command South.^{[citation needed]}

The brigade fought in the war in Donbas.^[6] On 22 August 2016, its Guards title was removed.^[7] On 22 August 2019 by decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky the official name of the brigade became: 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the First Winter Campaign.^[2]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

The brigade is taking part in the defense of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, primarily in the southern theater. According to the chairman of the Public Council at the Odesa Regional State Administration Serhiy Bratchuk, the Russians tried to plant a maritime and air landing in Kobleve [uk] on the Black Sea coast of the Mykolaiv area. As a result of the brigade, the Russians' attempt to plant a landing was stopped, and they enemy retreated, losing up to 25 soldiers. Two more saboteurs were detained in the village of Kobleve.^[8]^[9] After the defense of Kobleve, the 28th Brigade took part in the defense of Voznesensk.^[10]

The brigade defended the Oleksandrivka and Posad-Pokrovske sectors of the front line between Kherson and Mykolaiv throughout 2022.^[11]^[12] On July 23, 2022, the commander of the brigade, Vitaliy Gulyaev, was killed in Mykolaiv region.^[13] On the 12th of November, elements of the brigade were seen entering Kherson as part of the liberation of the city during the southern offensive.

Elements of the brigade were also present in the battle of Bakhmut as of February 2023, with servicemen interviewed by CNN^[14] and portrayed by The New Yorker.^[15] Between November 2022 and January 2023, a battalion of the 28th Mechanized Brigade numbering 600 men was reported to had been almost annihilated fighting in a village south of Bakhmut, with around 70 soldiers said to have been encircled and massacred in one incident.^[16]

The drone reconnaissance unit "Madyar's Birds", led by Robert "Madyar" Brovdi was absorbed into the brigade at some point during the war.^[17]

Structure

As of 2024, the brigade's structure was as follows:

28th Mechanized Brigade, Chornomorske
- Headquarters & Headquarters Company
- 1st Mechanized Battalion
- 2nd Mechanized Battalion
- 3rd Mechanized Battalion
- 5th Reserve Battalion
- Detachment South of Ukrainian Volunteer Army
- Tank Battalion
- Artillery Battalion
  - Headquarters & Target Acquisition Battery
  - Self-propelled Artillery Battery (M109)
  - Self-propelled Artillery Battery (PzH 2000)
  - Rocket Artillery Battery (BM-27 Uragan)
  - Anti-tank Artillery Battery (100 mm anti-tank gun T-12)
- Anti-Aircraft Defense Battery
- Reconnaissance Company
- Mobile Assault Unit "Kurt & Company"^[18]
- Attack Drone Company
- Engineer Battalion
- Engineering Support Group
- Maintenance Battalion
- Logistic Battalion
- Sniper Company
- Electronic Warfare Company
- Signal Company
- Radar Company
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Company
- Medical Company