Mykolaiv Territorial Defense Brigade Becomes a Drone Unit

The 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade, from Mykolaiv Oblast, has been reformed as an Unmanned Systems Brigade, continuing the reformation of the Territorial Defense Forces, which began in the Summer of 2025.

Reformation of the Brigade

Since the beginning of these reformations, four brigades have been reformed as Heavy Mechanized Brigades, namely the 125th, 127th, 128th, and 129th Territorial Defense Brigades, and this marks the first time a Territorial Defense brigade has been converted into a dedicated Unmanned Systems formation.

Additionally, reforms introduced since the summer have resulted in the disbandment and reintegration of all separate battalions under Territorial Defense Brigades into their parent brigades as linear units.

These separate battalions had existed for a number of reasons. Among them was the fact that responsibility for raising, housing, and supporting them rested largely with local councils, which made it more practical to spread battalion-sized units across a number of locations than to accommodate an entire brigade in one place.

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Reformation of the Territorial Defense Forces

New Path for the 123rd Brigade

The reformation of the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade was reported directly by its social channels on July 16th, 2026, stating that they have become the 123rd Unmanned Systems Brigade “Code Orion”.

The brigade’s official statement stated:

The 123rd Separate Territorial Defence Brigade is embarking on a new chapter in its combat history. From now on, we become the 123rd Unmanned Systems Brigade “Code Orion”. We preserve the combat experience, traditions, memory and strength of the people who have walked this path alongside the brigade. At the same time, we are expanding our capabilities, mastering new technologies and preparing to operate with even greater precision, speed and efficiency.

The change is a result of former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi’s tenure – the expansion of the Territorial Defence Forces’ drone capabilities to establish new drone units along the Belarusian border and strengthen unmanned systems across the branch, as reported by United 24 Media.

Future Structure

As of now, the brigade remains within the structure of the Territorial Defense Forces. Its reformation nonetheless leaves Mykolaiv Oblast without a Territorial Defense unit of its own.

Currently, the brigade already has two Unmanned Systems Battalions, both formed on the basis of the 187th and 188th Territorial Defense Battalions. The reformation of the brigade into a full Unmanned Systems Brigade likely also means the reformation of its three other line battalions, currently acting as infantry units, into Unmanned Systems Battalions, bringing it to a total of five battalions.

The brigade’s growing emphasis on unmanned systems is already visible in the field, with it recently landing an unmanned ground robot on the Kinburn Spit armed with a machine gun.