The 55th Artillery Brigade is an elite artillery formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, based in Zaporizhia. It is one of the oldest artillery units in Ukraine.[1]
| 55th Artillery Brigade "Zaporozhian Sich" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 30 December 1992-Present |
| Country |  |
| Branch | Ukrainian Ground Forces |
| Type | Artillery |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | Operational Command East |
| Garrison/HQ | Zaporizhia |
| Engagements | Russo-Ukrainian War[1] |
| Decorations |  For Courage and Bravery |
| Battle honours | Zaporozhian Sich[nb 1] |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Roman Kachur |
In 2018 the brigade received its honorific title Zaporozhian Sich.[1]
The brigade operates a squadron (6 batteries of 3 units each) of CAESAR self-propelled howitzers gifted by France following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[3] The brigade is currently involved in the Pokrovsk offensive.[2]
Structure
edit
As of 2017 the brigade's structure is as follows:
- 55th Artillery Brigade, Zaporizhia
- Headquarters & Headquarters Battery
- 1st Howitzer Artillery Battalion (2A65 Msta-B)
- 2nd Howitzer Artillery Battalion (2A65 Msta-B)
- 3rd Howitzer Artillery Battalion (2A65 Msta-B)
- 4th Anti-tank Artillery Battalion (MT-12 Rapira)
- 5th Self-Propelled Howitzer Artillery Battalion (CAESAR self-propelled howitzer)
- Artillery Reconnaissance Battalion
- 39th Motorized Infantry Battalion "Dnipro-2"
- Engineer Company
- Maintenance Company
- Logistic Company
- CBRN-defense Platoon
Commanders
edit- Colonel Roman Kachur March 2018 – present[4]
Notes
edit- ^ Zaporozhian Sich was not the place of a battle but a proto-state of Zaporozhian Cossacks in the 16th to 18th century
References
edit- ^ a b c (in Ukrainian) Half a thousand artillerymen solemnly received military berets on Khortytsia (photo), Radio Free Europe (27 July 2020)
- ^ a b Harmash, Olena (22 July 2024). "Russian troops mount pressure on Ukrainian logistics hub of Pokrovsk". Reuters.
- ^ "CAESAR: French 155 mm ACS are already put into action in Ukraine".
- ^ "Комбриг 55-ї артилерійської бригади Роман Качур став Героєм України". 13 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.