Active 1994/95–present Type Airmobile Part of 8th Army Corps | Country Ukraine Size 1,200 | |
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Branch Ukrainian Ground Forces | ||
The 95th Separate Airmobile Brigade (Ukrainian: 95 окрема десантно-штурмова бригада), the main ground forces component of Ukraine’s rapid reaction force. The brigade is located in Zhytomyr. The brigade is one of the Ukrainian Partnership for Peace units.
Contents
History
The 95th Training Center of the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces was created in the early 1990s in Zhytomyr (Korbutovka base) on the base of 242nd Training Tank Regiment. The 242nd Training Tank Regiment had been part of the 117th Guards Tank Training Division. Training Center acquires second base - Bohunia. In 1995 Training Center was reorganized into 95th Separate Airborne Brigade. All of the units except staff and reconnaissance company moved to Bohunia base.
The first jumps in the Brigade occurred in 1994. The brigade was also one of the first airmobile units to receive its Battle Flag. It received the Flag on October 5, 1994. Until the spring of 1996 all of the jumps were done from Mi-8 helicopters. By the end of the Ukrainian summer of 1996 soldiers began jumping from Il-76 aircraft. All the jumps were in the region of Smokovka, and in the Brigade's training range, located in the area of Starokonstantinin road across the Teterev river. Currently, the brigade's drop zone is located near the Singury settlement, 10 kilometres (6 mi) from Zhytomyr.
The Brigade originally had 4 battalions, 1 of which was later disbanded. Soldiers from the Brigade took part in peacekeeping missions in Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, and between 2003 and 2005 in Iraq.
In 2000 the brigade was reorganized into an Airmobile Brigade and became subordinate to the 8th Army Corps. Currently, the brigade includes the 13th Separate Airmobile Battalion, which consists of professional soldiers instead of conscripts. The brigade also includes the 2nd Airmobile Battalion which consists of conscripts based in Korbutovka (A-1910). Brigade headquarters and the conscript 1st Airmobile Battalion, specialized, artillery, and logistics units are based in Bohunia (A-0281).
In 2014 the Brigade took part in the Siege of Sloviansk and the Kramatorsk standoff during the War in Donbass. On May 13, 2014, 7 Paratroopers from the 95th Brigade were killed during an ambush by separatists in Kramatorsk.
The unit was deployed to Donetsk Airport on 21 November 2014 as part of a regular rotation of Ukrainian troops stationed in the area.
Structure
All battalions are commonly referred to as 1st and 2nd and 3rd Battalions by the service members.
Past Commanders
Deaths during the War in Donbass
28 April 2014 - Private and driver Dmytro Kurilenko (1992 yob; Ripky, Chernigiv region), killed after a bomb explosion at the Kramatorsk city airport.
2 May 2014 — Senior rifleman Sergiy Panasyuk (1985, Korostyshiv, Zhytomyr region) and rifleman Kovalenko Petro (1994, Rakhnivka, Vinnitsa region, killed in fighting on the outskirts of Sloviansk city.
13 May 2014 — Captain Zabrockiy (1979, Zhytomir), senior lieutenant Vitaly Dulchik (1986, Berdychiv, Zhytomir region), active reserve sergeant Oleg Slavicky (1975, Zoryane, Zhytomir region), junior sergeant Vitaly Rudy (1984, Golovine, Zhytomir region), senior rifleman Olexander Yakimov (1993, Kharkiv) and rifleman Sergiy Khrusch (1975, Verkhivnya, Zhytomir region), killed in fighting near Okyabrs'ke village, near Kramatorsk. 19 May 2014 — Rifleman Gennadiy Belyak (1978, Rikhalske, Zhytomir region).
3 June 2014 — Lieutenant Colonel Taras Senyuk (1980, Zhytomir).
6 June 2014 — Active reserve private Maxim Dobryak (1988, Korostyshiv, Zhytomir region).
13 June 2014 — Private and driver-mechanic Olexander Golyachenko (1992? SLaviv, Zhytomir region).
19 June 2014 — Captain Oleksiy Krementar (1984, Autonomous Republic of Crimea) and senior private of intelligence unit - Oleksiy Shevchenko (1988, Levkiv, Zhytomir region), killed in a skirmish on the outskirts of the city Krasny Liman.
24 June 2014 — Private and gun-layer Igor Vaschuk (1994, Ovruch, Zhytomir region) and Commanding sergeant of a mortar platoon Andriy Kogan (1984, Vysoka Pich, Zhytomir region).
28 June 2014 — Sergeant Olexander Zakusilo (1974, Bililivka, Zhytomir region), private Petro Bodnar (1976, Panka, Chernivtsi region) and private Leonid Ordynsky (1973, Chemerysy-Barski, Vinnitsa region).
2 July 2014 — Major Olexander Skulsky (1975, Zhytomir).
19 July 2014 — Senior lieutennat maxim Savchenko (1989, Sumy), sergeant Arthur Pushanko (1993, Zhytomir), private Oleg Klim (1977, Schiretz, Lviv region), private Yuriy Lyapin (1995, Kapustinzy, Kyiv region) and private Mykola Burlak (1987, Stol'ne, Chernigiv region), killed during fighting in the Lugansk region.
21 July 2014 — Senior private Artem Strizhenko (1993, Zhytomir), killed during fighting in the Lugansk region.
23 July 2014 — Senior lieutenant Igor Kholo (1992, Olexandrivka, Cherkassy region), died during an operation in a field hospital in Kharkiv for injuries sustained on 20 July in the Lugansk region.
27 July 2014 — Senior sergeant Olexander Knysh (1982, Levkiv, Zhytomir region), private Sergiy Biloushenko (1993, Korsun-Shevchenkivsky, Cherkassy region) and private Olexander Vasilenko (1991, Zhytomir region), killed in fighting near the city of Torez.
29 July 2014 — Captain Sertgiy Shulikov (Zhytomir)
31 July 2014 (approximate date) — Senior private Viktor Babyuk (1984, Oshikhliby, Chernivtsi region), killed in a skirmish near Shakhtarsk city.
4 August 2014 — Private Taras Shpiganevich (1994, Chernyatyn village, Vinnitsa region), died in a field hospital from injuries received during fighting on 27 July near the city of Torez.
17 August 2014 — Private Vasyl kondratenko (1987, Shostka, Sumy region), killed after rebels attacked a military checkpoint near Yasinuvata.