25th Airborne Brigade (Ukraine) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 25th Separate Dnipropetrovsk Airborne Brigade is an airborne

Airborne forces

Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...

formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces

Ukrainian Ground Forces

The Ukrainian Ground Forces are the land force component of the Military of Ukraine. They were formed from Soviet Army formations, units, and establishments, including three military districts , that were on Ukrainian soil when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990-92.Between the fall of the USSR and...

. .

It is the only airmobile unit of Ukrainian Airborne Forces which has BMD-1

BMD-1

The BMD-1 is a Soviet airborne amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle, which was introduced in 1969 and first seen by the West in 1970. BMD stands for Boyevaya Mashina Desanta . It can be dropped by parachute and although it resembles the BMP-1 it is in fact much smaller...

and BMD-2 airborne infantry fighting vehicles in its inventory. It is also the only unit which can be dropped anywhere by parachute

Parachute

A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...

, together with their armored vehicles, from Il-76MD and An-70 aircraft.

Parent unit

Between June 25 and August 11, 1969, the 217th Guards Parachute Airborne Regiment (Base #11389 [Military Unit No.11389?]) of the 13th Airmobile Order of Kutuzov II degree Division as part of the 37th Guards Svirsk Airborne Corps, Soviet Airborne Troops was relocated to Bolhrad

Bolhrad

Bolhrad sometimes known as Bolgrad is a small city in Odessa Oblast of south-western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Bolhrad Raion , and is located at around ....

(Bolgrad), Odessa Oblast.

After the dissolution of the USSR, the 98th Airborne Division was split between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In the spring of 1993, the 217th Parachute Airborne Regiment was relocated to Ivanovo

Ivanovo

Ivanovo is a city and the administrative center of Ivanovo Oblast, Russia. Population: Ivanovo has traditionally been called the textile capital of Russia. Since most textile workers are women, it has also been known as the "City of Brides"...

in Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. The regiment's Battle Flag, Order of Kutuzov

Order of Kutuzov

The Order of Kutuzov is a Soviet and Russian military award, named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov ....

, and 55% of the supplies were also relocated.

Current unit

By the order of Minister of Defence of Ukraine the new Ukrainian airmobile brigade based on the Soviet 217th Guards Parachute Airborne Regiment was formed in Bolgrad in May 1993.

By December 1, 1993, the brigade was finally formed as one of the units of the 1st Airmobile Division

1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine)

The 1st Airmobile Division was a formation of the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces from January 1, 1993 until it was disbanded in 2003.Brigade was located in Bolhrad.-Structure:Structure of the division in 2001...

.

From October 1995 until December 1999, 800 paratroopers from the brigade served as part of the 240th Special Battalion in former Yugoslavia. Later they served as peacekeepers in Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

.

Between May and June 2002, the Brigade was relocated to an urban-type settlement Hvardiyske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is an oblast of central Ukraine, the most important industrial region of the country. Its administrative center is Dnipropetrovsk....

. The brigade was given the honorable designation "Dnipropetrovsk", for their battle achievements and high level of professionalism. On July 16, 2002, Leonid Kuchma

Leonid Kuchma

Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...

awarded the unit with its new Battle Flag.

By the order of the Minister of Defence the Brigade was transferred from the 1st Airmobile Division

1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine)

to the 6th Army Corps on November 8, 2002.