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Armoured Forces (Ukraine)

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The Armoured Troops (Ukrainian: Танкові війська, romanized: Tankovi viys’ka) are the armored corps of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the main striking force of ground troops. They are used primarily in conjunction with mechanized forces in key areas and perform the following tasks:

  • in defense - support of mechanized troops in repelling the enemy attack and developing counterattacks;
  • in the attack - the application of powerful strokes to dissect enemy lines in greater depth, development of success, and defeat the enemy in counter-battles and battles.
Armoured Troops
Танкові війська
The Armoured Forces branch insignia
Active1992 — present
CountryUkraine
AllegianceArmed Forces of Ukraine
BranchUkrainian Ground Forces
TypeArmored corps
RoleArmoured warfare
Insignia
Shoulder sleeve insignia

Duties and tasks

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The basis of the Armoured Forces are the armored brigades and armored battalions of the infantry brigades (mechanized, light infantry, rifle infantry and mountain), which have great resistance to the striking factors of both conventional and nuclear weapons, firepower, high mobility and maneuverability. They are able to make the most complete use of the results of fire (nuclear) damage to the enemy and in a short time to achieve the final goals of combat operations in wartime.

The combat capabilities of the armored brigades in wartime operations allow them to conduct active combat operations either in day and/or night scenarios, at a considerable distance from other troops, to crush the enemy in counter-attacks and battles, to overcome large areas of radioactive contamination on the move, crossing water obstacles, and also to quickly create a strong defense and successfully resist the onslaught of overwhelming enemy forces.

Lineage of the Ukrainian Armored Forces

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Of those 3 former armoured divisions that entered the Ukrainian Ground Forces in 1991-92 from the Soviet Army, only one, the 17th, retained its armoured role into most of the 21st century when it was reflagged as a brigade. The brigade carried with it battle honours won in the Second World War, which would be removed in the 2010s after Euromaidan.

In 1997, on the basis of an armored regiment of what is now the 72nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, the 1st Tank Brigade was raised. These two brigades were the armored fist the nation had for so many years till 2014 and the War in Donbass, in which the armored force was increased in strength and numbers with the raising of new brigades.

Organization of the Ukrainian armoured division until the 2000s

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Brigade Organization

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Armored Brigades in Ukrainian service under the UGF are designed to provide heavy support to mechanized infantry brigades during offensive and defensive operations or on their own accord depending on the circumstances. Unlike the mechanized, mountain, assault, motorized and rifle infantry brigades, armored brigades do not have a motorized infantry battalion attached.[1] The armored brigades are organized identically into three armored battalions and one mechanized infantry battalion. Due to brigades being designed for independent operations they have a complete set of organic supporting units including a complete artillery regiment, an anti-tank battalion, an anti-aircraft battalion, a sniper company, a recon company, an engineer battalion, material repair battalion, logistics battalion, electronic warfare company, radar company, NBC defense company, signals company, medical company, a commandant's platoon and a brigade military band under HQ.

Since the start of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine the size and composition of Ukraine's armored brigades have changed dramatically to include both more men as the Ukrainian Armed Forces mobilize but also to include the different kinds of weapons and equipment being supplied by Ukraine's Western backers.

Headquarters and HQ Company

Tank Battalion (x3)

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • Tank Company (x3/x4)
  • (Armored) Recon Platoon
  • Anti Aircraft Platoon
  • Engineer Platoon
  • Medical Section
  • Combat Service Support Company
    • Technical Support Platoon
    • Material Support Platoon

Before the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine the UGF's then two armored brigades were equipped with either T-64BV tanks, T-64BV mod 2017, or T-80BV tanks. After the invasion Ukraine was able to capture and repurpose large numbers of Russian tanks such as T-72B3M mod 2017, T-72B3, T-72B, T-80BVM, T-80, and T-90M. Western nations have also pledged large numbers of tanks from their own stocks such as their own vintage T-72 models, PT-91 Twardy tanks from Poland, M-84 MBTs from Croatia and more recently Challenger 2 tanks from Britain, Leopard 2 and Leopard 1 tanks from multiple European countries, and the M1A1 Abrams from the United States. These new additions have bolstered the armored fighting force.

Mechanized Infantry Battalion

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • Infantry Company (x3)
  • Mortar Battery (6x 120mm)
  • Grenade Platoon (6x AGS-17)
  • Recon Platoon
  • Air Defense Platoon (9x Igla MANPAD)
  • Combat Engineer Platoon
  • Signals Platoon
  • Battalion Medical Center
  • Supply Company
    • Technical Support Platoon
    • Material Support Platoon

Tank brigade mechanized infantry battalions have traditionally been organized around the BMP-1 IFV systems and its variants, as well as the BMP-2. The same modernization and Westernization efforts following the 2022 Russian invasion have also affected these battalions.

Brigade Field Artillery Regiment

  • HQ and Target Acquisition Battery
  • Recon Battery
  • Observer Battery
  • SPG Battalion (2x 2S1 Gvozdika)
  • Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)
  • Security Company/Battalion

Anti-Tank Battalion (under field artillery regiment, otherwise independent under direct brigade command)

  • Headquarters and Headquarters Battery
  • 3x/4x Anti-Tank Batteries (towed/self-propelled/MPATS)

Anti-Aircraft and Missile Defense Artillery Battalion/Regiment


Sniper Company

Recon Company

Combat Engineer Battalion

  • HHC
  • 3x/4x Combat Engineer Battalions

Maintenance Battalion

Logistics Battalion

Electronic Warfare Company

Radar Company

CBRN Defense Company

Signals Company

Medical Company

Commandant's Platoon

Brigade Band

Units 2023

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Disbanded Formations

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Equipment

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References

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  1. ^ Shugalli, E.P. (2016). "МЕХАНІЗОВАНИЙ (ТАНКОВИЙ) БАТАЛЬЙОН В ЗАГАЛЬНОВІЙСЬКОВОМУ БОЮ" (PDF). Українська військово-медична академія.
  2. ^ (in Ukrainian) Brigade in Honcharivske receives new tanks Archived 2012-02-11 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "4 армійський корпус резерву". mil.in.ua. Український мілітарний портал. 2016-09-29. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  4. ^ "Військові частини, ВНЗ, установи, що не належать до видів ЗС України". www.ukrmilitary.com. Ukrainian Military Pages. Retrieved 2016-10-27.
  5. ^ Харченко Микола (2018-07-09). "4 отдельная танковая бригада". mil.in.ua. Ukrainian Military Portal. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  6. ^ "Масштабні військові навчання відбулись на Херсонщині". www.unn.com.ua. Ukrainian national news. 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  7. ^ (in Ukrainian) Training in the 17th Armored Brigade
  8. ^ "У Гончарівську створюють 12-й окремий танковий батальйон" [The 12th separate tank battalion is being created in Honcharivske]. ВЕЧІРНЯ УМАНЬ (in Ukrainian). 25 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  9. ^ David Axe (17 January 2023). "The Ukrainian Army Could Form Three New Heavy Brigades With All These Tanks And Fighting Vehicles It's Getting". Forbes. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  10. ^ a b c d Lenskiy
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Feskov, p.106

Additional reading

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  • (in Russian) Feskov – V.I. Feskov, K.A. Kalashnikov, V.I. Golikov, The Soviet Army in the Years of the Cold War 1945–91, Tomsk University Publishing House, Tomsk, 2004
  • (in Russian) Lenskiy – А. Г. Ленский, Сухопутные силы РККА в предвоенные годы. Справочник. — Санкт-Петербург Б&К, 2000
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