128th Mountain Assault Brigade (Ukraine)

The 128th Mechanized Division was first formed within the then USSR's Red Army as the 1st Turkmenistan Rifle Division on July 12, 1922, in the city of Poltoratsk (now Ashgabat, Turkmenistan). (Other sources give the original name as the 1st Turkmenistan Mountain Division).[4] It was a Turkmen national formation. Sergiy Tumoshkov became the division's first commander. The division was renamed 83rd Mountain Rifle Division on July 1, 1935.[5] On June 22, 1941, the 83rd Mountain Rifle Division was part of 58th Rifle Corps, Central Asia Military District.[6] Between 1 September and 1 October 1941 the division was assigned to the 53rd Army, still located within the Central Asia Military District.[7] By January 1942 the division, still with 58th Rifle Corps, had been dispatched to Iran as part of the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

From January 1, 1943, the division fought near the area of Krasnodar where it was assigned to the 56th Army. After successfully liberating the region of Kuban and the Taman Peninsula, the division was awarded the Guards designation on October 8, 1943, and renamed as the 128th Guards Turkmenistan Rifle Division.[1]

On April 24, 1944, for participation in the battles for Crimea, the division was awarded its first Order of the Red Banner. During the month of August, the division participated in battles for Carpathian Mountains. The division liberated Zakarpattya and on October 12, 1944, crossed the border with Czechoslovakia. Units of the division liberated Ostrava, Olomouc and other cities.[1]

Postwar, the division was stationed in Mukacheve and became part of the 38th Army. During October and November 1956, it took part in Operation Whirlwind, the crushing of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The division captured Debrecen and Szolnok and Jászberény. Advancing westward, it participated in the storming of Budapest. On 15 December 1956, the division became the 128th Guards Motor Rifle Division at Esztergom. In July 1958, the division was moved back to Mukacheve. In 1968, the division participated in Operation Danube, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. During the operation, eleven soldiers of the division were killed.[8] In May 1976, it was given the title "named for Marshal of the Soviet Union A.A. Grechko". In December 1979, its 149th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment was transferred to the 201st Motor Rifle Division and replaced by the newly activated 487th Motor Rifle Regiment. On May 8, 1985, the division was awarded its second Order of the Red Banner in honor of the 40th anniversary of Victory Day.[9] In January 1992, the division was taken over by Ukraine.[10]

On 31 December 1992, in Decree 642/92, the President of Ukraine promoted the commander of the 128th Guards Motor Rifle Division of the Carpathian Military District, Colonel Vyacheslav Zabolotny, to Major-General.[11]

In accordance with a decree of 23 August 1998, Colonel Oleksandr Maslenchuk – commander of the 128th Mechanised Division of the 38th Army Corps of the Operational Command West; was promoted to major-general.[12]

On May 27, 2000, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, General of the Army Oleksandr Kuzmuk presented the division with its Battle Banner, and read the Order of the President of Ukraine awarding the division the honorable name "Zakarpattia".[9]

In 2002 the division was under 38th Army Corps.[13] After 38th Army Corps was disbanded, the division became part of 13th Corps.

On June 18, 2004, the 128th Guards Motor Rifle Division was reorganized into a brigade by the order of Minister of Defense.[9]

In 2013, the brigade became the 128th Mountain Brigade.

In 2014–15 the brigade fought in the War in Donbass, taking part in the Battle of Debaltseve. For his leadership in the Battle of Debaltseve, brigade commander Colonel Serhiy Shaptala was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine.

The brigade has a training ground near the city of Vynohradiv.

On 18 November 2015, the brigade's honorifics "Turkestan twice Red Banner" were removed as part of an Armed Forces-wide removal of Soviet awards and honorifics.[14] The "Zakarpattia" battle honour, awarded for the liberation of the area in 1945, through, remained. On 22 August 2016, its Guards title was also removed.[15]

Petro Poroshenko and Stepan Poltorak inspecting the brigade (2016)

As of 2018 the brigade's structure is as follows:

• 128th Mountain Brigade, Mukacheve
  • Headquarters & Headquarters Company, Mukacheve
  • 15th Mountain Infantry Battalion, Uzhhorod
  • 21st Mechanized Battalion, Mukacheve
  • 36th Mechanized Battalion, Mukacheve
  • 16th Tank Battalion, Uzhhorod
  • 17th Brigade Artillery Group
    • Headquarters & Target Acquisition Battery
    • Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S3 Akatsiya)
    • Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S1 Gvozdika)
    • Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)
    • Anti-tank Artillery Battalion (MT-12 Rapira)
  • 10th Anti-Aircraft Missile Artillery Battalion, Mukacheve
  • 534th Engineer Battalion
  • Maintenance Battalion
  • Logistic Battalion
  • Reconnaissance Company
  • Sniper Company
  • Electronic Warfare Company
  • Signal Company
  • Radar Company
  • CBRN-defense Company
  • Medical Company

• Divisional Command and Staff, Uzhhorod
• 315th Mechanized Regiment, Berehove
• 327th Mechanized Regiment, Uzhhorod
• 820th Mechanized Regiment, Mukacheve
• 398th Armor Regiment Uzhorod, Uzhhorod
• 331st Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment, Perechyn
• 757th Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion, Svaliava
• 253rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, Svaliava
• 47th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion

The 327th Mechanized Regiment[16] was reorganized to form the 15th Mountain Infantry Battalion, which became the first Mountain Infantry formation in the current Ukrainian Ground Forces.

• Sergiy Tumoshkov – July 12, 1922 –
• Colonel Viacheslav Hryhorovych Zabolotnyi – 1992 - 1993[17]
• Major General Genadiy Vorobyov – 2001 - 2002[18]
• Colonel Sergiy Viktorovych Goroshnikov – 2002 – 2003
• Vasyl Koka – 2004[19]
• Colonel Viktor Ganushchak – 2007 –
• Colonel Sergiy Olexandrovych Shaptala - 2014–present

• October 8, 1943, received the honorable designation "Guards" for liberating the region of Kuban and the Taman Peninsula.
• April 24, 1944, received the Order of the Red Banner for participating in Liberation of Crimea.
• May 8, 1985, received the Order of the Red Banner in honor of the 40th anniversary of Victory Day.
• On January, 10th 2000 was given its Battle Banner and the honorific "Zakarpattia"[20]
• 14 soldiers were awarded with orders Hero of the Soviet Union
• 19 soldiers and sergeants were awarded Order of Glory
• 3 personnel awarded state decorations for valor in the Donbass War, so far only 1 awarded the Gold Star Medal as a Hero of Ukraine

• carpathia.gov.ua