72nd Guards Mechanized Brigade

29th Rifle Division (1941-43)
72nd Guards Rifle Division (1943-57)
72nd Guards Motor Rifle Division (1957-1992)
72nd Guards Mechanized Division (1992-2001)
72nd Guards Mechanized Brigade (2002-present)

72nd Mechanized Brigade Sleeve Patch
Active December 5, 1941[1] - Present
Country Ukraine
Branch Ukrainian Army
Type Brigade
Role Mechanized
Size ~3,000
Part of 8th Army Corps
Garrison/HQ Bila Tserkva, Kiev Oblast
Equipment T-64[2]
Engagements World War II
Soviet war in Afghanistan
2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine[3]
Decorations Order of the Red Banner
Commanders
Current
commander		 Lieutenant General Sergiy Ostrovskiy[4]

The 72nd Mechanized Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. It was previously named the 29th Rifle Division (2nd formation) and then the 72nd Guards Rifle Division of the Soviet Ground Forces. in 1957, it became a motor rifle division.

History

World War II

On February 2, 1943 the Battle of Stalingrad was finally over. Due to the heroism of the soldiers the 29th Rifle Division (2nd formation) was redesignated the 72nd Guard Rifle Division by Directorate of the General Staff order №104 on March 1, 1943.

29th Rifle Division 72nd Guard Rifle Division
106 Rifle Regiment 222 Guards Rifle Regiment
128 Rifle Regiment 224 Guards Rifle Regiment
77 Artillery Regiment 155 Guards Artillery Regiment

On March 3, 1943, 72nd Guard Rifle Division was involved in battles for liberation of Belgorod. Soon they were near Kharkiv and Krasnohrad.

Cold War

The 72nd Guards Rifle Division became a motor rifle division stationed in the Kiev Military District at Bila Tserkva on 4 June 1957. It was part of the 1st Army. On 19 February 1962 , the 280th Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion was activated. A missile battalions was also activated on the same day. In 1968, the 220th Separate Guards Sapper Battalion became an Engineer Sapper Battalion. In 1972, the 191st Separate Chemical Defence Company became the 23rd Separate Chemical Defence Battalion. The 1345th Separate Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion was activated on 15 November 1972. The motor transport battalion became the 892nd Separate Material Supply Battalion in 1980. In 1990, the division was equipped with 133 T-64 main battle tanks. During the Cold War, the division was maintained at 25% strength, with one full strength regiment.[5]

Ukraine

After the fall of the Soviet Union it was transferred to Ukraine. In 1992, Colonel Volodymyr Lytvyntsevu - Commander 72nd Guards Motor Rifle Division of the Kiev Military District was given the rank of Major General. (Edict of the President of Ukraine No.90/92, 20 лютого 1992)

On August 23, 1995, Colonel Nikolai Nikolaevich Tsytsyurskomu, Commander 72nd Mechanized Infantry Division of the 1st Army Corps of the Odessa Military District, was given the rank of Major-General. (Edict of the President of Ukraine No.792/95) On June 29, 1999 the 72nd Guards Mechanized Division of the North Operational Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was given the honorary title of "Kiev".[6]

In accordance with a decree of August 23, 1998, division commander Colonel Grigoriy Pedchenko was promoted to major-general.[7] It was reduced in size to a mechanized brigade in 2002.

In May 2014 72nd Guards Mechanized Brigade was involved in the Mariupol standoff during the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine.[3] During this conflict Ukrainian singers Zlata Ognevich and Anastasia Prikhodko raised money for the Brigade.[8]

Awards

Famous people of the Division

Divisional Order of Battle

1988-1991

Late Soviet Period Structure[9][10][5]

1992 - 2002

Brigade Order of Battle 2002-present

Past commanders

References

  1. ↑ Урядовий портал :: Президент України перебуває у 72-й окремій Гвардійській механізованій бригаді
  2. 1 2 (Ukrainian) Training of Armored and Mechanized battalions
  3. 1 2 (Ukrainian) ATO organization criticizes the Donbas, Ukrayinska Pravda (12 May 2014)
  4. ↑ Новини Управління Прес-служби МО
  5. 1 2 Holm, Michael. "72nd Guards Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  6. ↑ Edict of the President of Ukraine No. 768/99
  7. ↑ http://zakon4.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/925/98
  8. ↑ (Ukrainian) Zlata Ognevich first talked about becoming a MP, TSN (17 September 2014)
  9. ↑ Ракетный комплекс 9К72: Краснознаменный Киевский военный округ (штаб - Киев)
  10. ↑ А.Г.Ленского и М.М.Цыбина „Советские сухопутные войска в последний год существования СССР” (Санкт-Петербург, 2001)
  11. ↑ Новини Управління Прес-служби МО

External links

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