47th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

In the wake of the Russo-Ukrainian War, a new military unit was formed, the 47th Assault Battalion.[5] This battalion was created under the leadership of Captain Ivan Shalamaga, who at the time held the position of deputy commander in the 30th Mechanized Brigade and reconnaissance member Valery Markus.[6] After its official establishment on April 26, the battalion underwent rigorous training before being deployed to the Vuglehirskaya area near Bakhmut.[1]

The battalion's success was recognized by the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny, who ordered its expansion into a full assault regiment.[5] Within three months, the 47th Assault Battalion was transformed into the 47th Assault Regiment, which was then led by Oleksandr Sak as its commander, with Shalamaga as his deputy.[7]

By October, the order was given to expand the regiment into a brigade, accomplished within a month.[8] General Zaluzhny appointed Oleksandr Sak as the brigade commander. The brigade underwent combat training in various locations throughout Ukraine and Europe.[1] Members of the brigade have been training on M2 Bradley vehicles at a U.S. base in Grafenwoehr, Germany. In contrast, tank units are based in Kharkiv.[1] The brigade has seen a significant increase in personnel, from roughly 400 in April to around 2,000 in January 2023.[3] The 47th Mechanized Brigade was formed from the 47th Assault Battalion, which was established with volunteers from Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and Lviv.[5] The Head Master Sergeant of the Battalion was Valeriy Markus.[9]

The battalion was quickly equipped and ready for action, participating in the Battle of Vuglegirska TEC in the Donetsk region by May 8, 2022.[5] On June 28, 2022, the Battalion was expanded to an assault regiment with the addition of tank, artillery, and fire support units.[1] The Regiment underwent restructuring from October 13 to November 15, 2022, to become the 47th Mechanized Brigade, which is now equipped with M-55S, Panthera T6, BMP-1, Leopard 2 and M2A2 ODS Bradleys.[10]

On June 8, 2023, the 47th Mechanized Brigade engaged in the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive and suffered heavy material losses.[11][12]

UA 47th bde Panthera T6

On July 11, 2023, Valerii Markus a Sergeant-Major of the 47th Brigade, who met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the end of June, complained about the decisions of the unit's command regarding lack of interest on soldiers morale and officers incompetence.[13]

On July 22, 2023, Dimytro Rybakov, the Brigade's commander, was killed in combat toward the Melitopol axis. Rybakov was also a well-known journalist and Economic commentator.[14]

UA 47th bde M-55S 02

In late July, the BBC visited the 47th Mechanized Brigade, which was fighting in "southern Ukraine". General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi said that the number of minefields meant that the advance must be undertaken by soldiers and not armored units. A repair workshop had a dozen vehicles being repaired, mostly M2 Bradleys. The BBC team also traveled around the southern front and saw Mastiff armored vehicles, supplied by Britain, damaged and destroyed. The 47th has used its older Soviet-era equipment, such as the T-64 tank to clear minefields. These tanks are fitted with rollers to try and detonate landmines. However, Russian mines are being stacked on top of each other. One T-64 commander said that a roller was destroyed after one explosion when typically it could withstand four explosions. Russian forces have started to leave trenches abandoned but filled with remote-controlled mines. Once Ukrainian forces entered the trench, there was an immediate explosion.[15]

As of 2023 the brigade's structure is as follows:[9]

• 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade
  • Headquarters & Headquarters Company
  • 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion
  • 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion
  • 3rd Mechanized Infantry Battalion
  • Tank Battalion (the 2 companies of m55s were switched with Leopard 2)
  • 25th Assault Battalion
  • Artillery Group
    • Regimental Headquarters and Target Acquisition Battery
    • 1st Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion (M109 howitzer)
    • 2nd Artillery Battalion (122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30))
    • Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)[23]
    • Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion (Mixed)
  • Anti-Aircraft Missile Defense Battalion
  • Reconnaissance Company
  • Combat Engineer Battalion
  • Maintenance Battalion
  • Logistic Battalion
  • Signal Company
  • Radar Company
  • Medical Company
  • Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Protection Company (CBRN defense)
  • Brigade Band

• Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Sak[24]
• Sergeant Major Valeriy Markus[24]
• Sergeant Major Vitaliy Averin[25][26]

• Yuliia Shevchenko (activist)