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.
Duties and tasks
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
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
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.
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.
(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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