10th Mountain Assault Brigade (Ukraine)

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 Donbass if necessary in a war with Russia.[2] The main purpose of the brigade at the time was to protect 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 "Donbass-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 Donbass from 25 May to November 2016. The brigade defended the area around Marinka, Krasnohorivka, Taramchuk, Stepne, and Solodke. 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 Donbass, 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 At this time the 24th Assault and 46th Separate Special Purpose Battalions were withdrawn from the brigade due to a desire to avoid stationing them far from their homes as 80% of their personnel were from eastern Ukraine.[13]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 Veliky Verkh. 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 Donbass, defending positions around Popasna.[15] A soldier from the brigade was killed in action on 23 September during fighting at Novooleksandrivka.[16]

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

• Brigade website