17th Heavy Mechanized Brigade is a tank formation of Armed Forces of Ukraine. The unit is the direct successor of Soviet 17th Tank Division. In 2014, when the war broken out in Donbas, the unit was in the process of reorganization to 2nd Tank Brigade and only a skeleton staff was present. The reorganization was ceased soon after it and the unit was deployed to Donbas. In fall 2014, most of the brigade was staffed with volunteers, mainly from territorial battalions. Additional mechanized battalions were formed to help 17th Brigade but in 2015, two battalions were transferred to other units. All tank units were withdrawn from the frontline in 2015 after the battle of Debaltseve.
On the night of the invasion, part of the brigade was stationed in Luhansk Oblast and one tank battalion in Mariupol. In October 2024, the tank brigade was reformed into a heavy mechanized brigade.
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Structure
Here you can find the last known structure of the unit, including their insignia if available.
1st Tank Battalion
The first linear tank battalion of the brigade.
2nd Tank Battalion
The second tank battalion of the brigade.
Mechanized Battalion
The mechanized battalion of the brigade.
2nd Mechanized Battalion
The second linear mechanized battalion of the brigade.
1st Rifle Battalion
2nd Rifle Battalion
Infantry battalion formed in 2022 to reinforce combat capabilities of the brigade.
Artillery Group
The group includes HQ, target acquisition unit, two self-propelled artillery battalions, rocket artillery unit and anti-tank unit.
Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion
The air defense battalion of the brigade.
Reconnaissance Company
The scouts of the brigade.
Engineer Battalion
The engineers of the brigade.
Maintenance Battalion
The repair & restoration battalion of the brigade.
Logistic Battalion
The logistic battalion of the brigade.
Signal Company
The signal company of the brigade.
Radar Company
The radar and radiolocation company of the brigade.
Medical Company
The medics of the brigade.
CBRN Protection Company
Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence unit.
Equipment
Here, you can view the complete list of the unit’s equipment. All images of the vehicles and weapons below are sourced from the unit’s official social media page.Current equipment
T-64B
Type:
MTB
| Amount:
T-64BV
Type:
MTB
| Amount:
T-72M1
Type:
MBT
| Amount:
BMP-2
Type:
IFV
| Amount:
BMP-1
Type:
IFV
| Amount:
MT-LB
Type:
APC
| Amount:
BRDM-2
Type:
LAV
| Amount: 2+
MT-LB-S
Type:
APC
| Amount:
M109A4BE
Type:
SPG
| Amount: 4+
2S1 Gvozdika
Type:
Artillery
| Amount:
2S3 Akatsiya
Type:
Artillery
| Amount:
9K35 Strela-10
Type:
Anti-Aircraft
| Amount:
2K22 Tonguska
Type:
Anti-Aircraft
| Amount:
BM-21 Grad
Type:
MLRS
| Amount:
R145
Type:
Radio-comms
| Amount:
Equipment Losses
| # | Vehicle Type | Vehicle Number | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID_5 | T-64BV | February 28, 2022 | Hnutove, Donetsk Oblast | |
| ||||
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