Active 5 June 1993 – Present Type Brigade | Country Ukraine Role Airborne | |
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Allegiance 6th Guard Army Corps (Ukraine) Branch Ukrainian Airmobile Forces | ||
The 25th Separate Dnipropetrovsk Airborne Brigade (Ukrainian: 25 окрема Дніпропетровська повітряно-десантна бригада Cухопутних військ Збройних Сил України, 25 okrema Dnipropetrovs’ka povitryano-desantna bryhada Sukhoputnykh viys’k Zbroynykh Syl Ukrayiny) is a airborne formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. After elements surrendered 6 vehicles to pro-Russian separatists in the 2014 Sloviansk standoff, Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov announced the brigade would be disbanded. But this decision was canceled later on. Despite this the Brigade has taken an active role in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine.
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It is the only airmobile unit of Ukrainian Airborne Forces which has BMD-1 and BMD-2 airborne infantry fighting vehicles in its inventory. In addition, it is the only unit which can be dropped anywhere by parachute, together with their armored vehicles, from Il-76MD and An-70 aircraft.
History
Between June 25 and August 11, 1969, the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment (Base #11389 [Military Unit No.11389?]) of the 98th Guards Airborne Division of the Soviet Airborne Troops was relocated to Bolhrad (Bolgrad), Odessa Oblast.
After the dissolution of the USSR, the 98th Guards Airborne Division was split between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In the spring of 1993, the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment was relocated to Ivanovo in Russia. The regiment's Battle Flag, Order of Kutuzov, and 55% of the supplies were also relocated.
Current unit
By the order of Minister of Defence of Ukraine the new Ukrainian airmobile brigade based on the elements of the Soviet 217th Guards Airborne Regiment was formed in Bolgrad in May 1993. By December 1, 1993, the brigade was finally formed as one of the units of the 1st Airmobile Division.
From October 1995 until December 1999, 800 paratroopers from the brigade served as part of the 240th Special Battalion in former Yugoslavia. Later they served as peacekeepers in Kosovo.
Between May and June 2002, the Brigade was relocated to the urban-type settlement Hvardiyske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The brigade was given the honorable designation "Dnipropetrovsk", for their battle achievements and high level of professionalism. On July 16, 2002, Leonid Kuchma awarded the unit with its new Battle Flag.
By the order of the Minister of Defence the Brigade was transferred from the 1st Airmobile Division to the 6th Army Corps on November 8, 2002.
A company of the brigade was deployed to Crimea during the 2014 Crimean crisis. It became one of the few, if not the only, Ukrainian unit to leave Crimea as a unit, still bearing their arms.
Two of its IFVs(Infantry Fighting Vehicle(s)) were captured by rebels during the War in Donbass. One of the vehicles was a BMD 1 and the other a BMD 2. Both are now used by the separatists. A 2S9 Nona-S was also captured by rebel forces.
Transport plane shot down
On June 13, 2014, an IL-76 Transport was shot down killing forty 25th Airborne Brigade troopers near Luhansk, Ukraine. “On the night of June 13–14, firing from an anti-aircraft gun and a large-caliber machine gun, anti-regime forces cynically and treacherously shot down a Ukraine armed forces transport plane IL-76 which was bringing personnel for rotation,” said in a statement posted on the Defense Ministry's official website.