Linearization of the 57th: End of Separate Battalions

All separate motorized battalions under the command of the 57th Motorized Brigade have been reorganized into linear formations. This was revealed by our research and later confirmed on the brigade’s official Facebook page.

The 17th Motorized Battalion has become the brigade’s 1st Motorized Battalion. The 34th Motorized Battalion was reorganized into the 2nd Motorized Battalion, while the 42nd Motorized Battalion is now the 3rd Motorized Battalion. As a result, the separate battalions ceased to exist as independent entities, losing their support units, command structures, and other means of autonomous operation.

All three battalions were originally formed in April 2014 under the law “On the Defense of Ukraine.” They were created as territorial volunteer formations during the partial mobilization prompted by Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in the Donbas. In total, 34 such battalions were raised. By 2015, most territorial defense battalions were partially demobilized; those that proved effective in combat were incorporated into newly formed brigades, such as the 57th Motorized Brigade.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, all three battalions lost their garrisons, as their headquarters were located in areas of Kherson Oblast that are now under occupation.

The last separate unit under the brigade’s command, the 9th Rifle Battalion, was reorganized into the 9th Reconnaissance Battalion in August 2025 and detached from the brigade’s structure. As of today, the 57th Motorized Brigade consists solely of linear units. The status of the 117th Assault Battalion remains unknown, as it has not been observed since its deployment to Kharkiv Oblast in May 2024.

About 57th Motorized Brigade

The 57th Motorized Brigade was formed in the fall of 2014, and included three separated motorized battalions under its command – 17th, 34th, and 42nd. The unit participated was deployed numerous times to Donbas, and participated in the battle of Debaltseve. The brigade’s command was garrisoned in Nova Kakhovka of Kherson Oblast, and the formation lost its base following the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022. In 2025, the brigade has joined the newly created 16th Army Corps.