Ground Forces Expand with New Recon Units

With the transformation of the Defense Forces into a corps–brigade structure, the demand for reconnaissance units has significantly increased. Each corps formation is expected to include one reconnaissance battalion, but the number of existing units was insufficient to fully staff all 13 army corps of the Ground Forces.

A logical solution would have been to establish new reconnaissance battalions on the basis of existing battalions or companies. However, the Armed Forces leadership instead made the unexpected decision to reformat selected light infantry battalions into reconnaissance units.

As a result, the following battalions have been reorganized into reconnaissance formations:

• 14th Rifle Battalion -> 14th Reconnaissance Battalion
• 23rd Rifle Battalion -> 23rd Reconnaissance Battalion
• 52nd Rifle Battalion -> 53rd Reconnaissance Battalion
• 53rd Rifle Battalion -> 53rd Reconnaissance Battalion

The last mentioned unit, 53rd Battalion, has been already assigned to a corps formation, the 14th Army Corps.

The Ground Forces of Ukraine currently field a total of ten reconnaissance battalions, though the 129th Battalion may have ceased to exist due to heavy losses in the first year of the war. If only nine battalions remain, four corps formations are left without reconnaissance units, which will need to be created.

3rd Reconaissance Battalion

???

3 ОРБ

14th Reconnaissance Battalion

A7098

14 ОРБ

23rd Reconnaissance Battalion

A7107

23 ОРБ

52nd Reconnaissance Battalion

A4128

52 ОРБ

53rd Reconnaissance Battalion

A4220

53 ОРБ

54th Reconnaissance Battalion

A2076

54 ОРБ

74th Reconnaissance Battalion

A1035

74 ОРБ

129th Reconnaissance Battalion

A4221

129 ОРБ

130th Reconnaissance Battalion

A1994

130 ОРБ

131st Reconnaissance Battalion

A1445

131 ОРБ

However, some corps formations already include reconnaissance-strike battalions. Whether these are factored into the overall count remains unclear. At present, five such battalions exist: the 48th, 150th, 151st, 152nd, and 153rd.

Sources: Facebook group of 23rd Battalion, Facebook of 52nd Battalion, volunteers affiliated with 14th and 53rd Battalion