30th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

The 30th Mechanized Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

The full name of the Brigade is 30th Separate Guards Mechanized Novohrad-Volynskyi Rivne Orders of the Red Banner and Suvorov Brigade, (30 окрема гвардійська механізована Новоград-Волинська Рівненська орденів Червоного Прапора і Суворова бригада).

World War II
Between September 1 and October 1, 1941, the 83rd Cavalry Division was formed in the city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The division consisted of the following units:
 * 215th Cavalry Regiment
 * 226th Cavalry Regiment
 * 231st Cavalry Regiment
 * Separate Chemical Squadron

From September 5, 1941, the commanding officer of the Division was Lieutenant General Selivanov.

On November 7, 1941, the Division was sent to the Volga Military District where it was assigned to the newly forming Cavalry mechanized group of the 61st Army. Until December 28, 1941, the Division was fortifying near the station of Lysi Gory Saratov Oblast.

The first battle that the Division took part in was near the city of Ryazhsk, Ryazan Oblast as part of the Cavalry mechanized group of the 61st Army as part of the Bryansk Front and the Soviet winter counter offensive in front of Moscow. In January 1942 the division was assigned to the 7th Cavalry Corps and was assigned to be a Mobile Group in the Moscow Defense Zone for the 61st Army. The division remained with the 7th Cavalry Corps for the rest of 1942 and when the Corps was redesignated as the 6th Guards Cavalry Corps in January 1943 the division was redesignated as the 13th Guards Cavalry Division on 19 January 1943. The division was under the command of General Major Petr Zubov.

The 13th Guards Cavalry Division fought at Dubno in 1944, as well as at the Battle of Debrecen and was with 6th Guards Cavalry Corps of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in May 1945.

Cold War
Feskov et al. trace the unit's history as follows. The Division was transformed in July 1945 into 11th Guards Mechanized Division. (August 1, 1945, the connection was reorganized into 11th Guards Rivne Orders of the Red Banner and Suvorov Mech Division - http://na.mil.gov.ua/number/4765/1325.htm)

In 1957 it became the 30th Guards Tank Division, and remained under that title until the fall of the Soviet Union.

1990-present
The 30th Guards Tank Division, along with the rest of the 8th Tank Army and the Carpathian Military District, became part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces according to the order of Ukraine About Armed Forces of Ukraine from December 6, 1991. In February 1992, all units of the Division pledged their allegiance to Ukraine.

It was still designated a tank division as of Decree N 350/93 (August 21, 1993). On October 20, 1999, the Division was awarded the Novohrad-Volynskyi designation. On July 30, 2004, the Division was reformed into a Brigade.

Currently the brigade is the only mechanized brigade that does not have any conscripts. It is also a part of Joint Rapid Reaction Forces. Over a hundred soldiers from the Brigade have served in peace keeping missions in Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Iraq and Kosovo.

As of October 12, 2007, the 2nd mechanized battalion of the Brigade is deployed in Kosovo as part of the POLUKRBAT.

The current commander of the brigade served as a commander of the 5th Separate Mechanized brigade in Iraq.

Formation patches:

Division: 2003

 * 276tb.jpg 276th Armor Regiment
 * 325tb.jpg 325th Armor Regiment
 * 282ar.jpg 282nd Guards Armor Regiment
 * 319mr.jpg 319th Mechanized Regiment
 * 855ar.jpg 855th Guards Artillery Regiment
 * 937zrp.jpg 937th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment
 * 214bz.jpg 214th Separate Guards Signal Battalion
 * 54r.jpg 54th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Battalion
 * 151e.jpg 151st Separate Guards Combat Engineer Battalion
 * 108mb.jpg 108th Separate Maintenance Battalion
 * 1043bt.jpg 1043rd Separate Combat Service Support Battalion
 * 112th Medical Battalion 30th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine) sleeve patch.jpg 112th Separate Medical Battalion
 * 404c.jpg 404th Separate Chemical Battalion

Brigade (2004-present)

 * 1st Mechanized Battalion
 * 1st Mechanized Company
 * 2nd Mechanized Company
 * 3rd Mechanized Company

Awards
The brigade has received 22 orders, and 30 of its soldiers have been decorated with medals.


 * Order of the Red Banner - 276th, 325th, 282nd, 855th
 * Order of Alexander Nevsky - 54th
 * Order of Suvorov - Second Class - 325th, 282nd
 * Order of Kutuzov - Second Class - 325th, 282nd, 855th
 * Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky - Second Class - 325th, 282nd
 * Order of Kutuzov - Third Class - 54th
 * Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky - Third Class - 54th
 * ??? awarded Rivne designation
 * On October 20, 1999, awarded Novohrad-Volynskyi designation

Past commanders

 * Lieutenant General Selivanov September 5, 1941 -
 * Major-General Petr Ivanovich Zubov
 * Colonel Yuriy Muchailovich Mukolenko 2006 - 2007
 * Colonel Ihor Dovhan 2007 -