Fokin Transforms Lviv Heavy Mechanized Brigade

Since October 2025, when Major Volodomyr Fokin arrived as the commander of the 125th Heavy Mechanized Brigade, major reforms have begun, with Fokin beginning to transform the brigade into shape that mirrors that of the 3rd Assault Brigade – reforms that were much needed.

Backbone of the Brigade

The 125th Heavy Mechanized Brigade has recently been reinforced with battle-hardened and competent commanders with extensive practical experience both before and during the full-scale invasion. These soldiers and commanders were pulled from the ranks of the 1st Assault Battalion of the 3rd Assault Brigade; they now help to form the proper backbone of the brigade.

The battalion is highly experienced, having seen combat operations during its deployment to Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and other areas, including Nadiya. On November 30, 2025, the Telegram channel of the 3rd Assault Company of the battalion was rebranded into the channel for the 125th Heavy Mechanized Brigade, which preserves the legacy of the combat path of the unit.

Undoubtedly, the arrival of experienced assaulters and commanders will accelerate the transformation of the brigade. These standards are expected to help elevate the former Territorial Defense personnel to the level of expectations that are required for operations within the 3rd Army Corps, bringing it up to scratch with a modern and professional mechanized formation.

Structural Reformation

On December 2, 2025, the 125th Heavy Mechanized Brigade announced a major restructuring of its combat and support elements. The reform aims to bring the brigade in line with the standards set by the 3rd Assault Brigade. Under Major Fokin, ineffective formations inherited from the brigade’s past are being dismantled or reformed, while essential units appropriate for a heavy mechanized formation are being formed.

The former 218th Territorial Defense Battalion had previously been restructured into a linear infantry formation, becoming the 1st Rifle Battalion. However, following a wider trend throughout the Ukrainian Defense Forces, where brigades increasingly have only a single rifle battalion in their structure, the unit has now been disbanded.

Its personnel is being reassigned to more suitable positions within the brigade, especially given the expansion and creation of new support elements within its new structure.

In order to address the need for adequate support assets in the brigade, many sub-units are being created or reformed. Reportedly, a dedicated Tank Battalion is being formed; however, it remains unclear whether the brigade will ultimately field one or two of these battalions, as is standard for this brigade type.

Additionally, a Self-Propelled Artillery Division is in the process of formation, as well as an Artillery Reconnaissance Unit, both of which help to aid the brigade with accurate fire support elements, which is a necessity for mechanized formations during operations.

More importantly, reforms are also underway with the brigade’s Unmanned Systems Battalion, which was formed on the basis of the 215th Territorial Defense Battalion. The unit is being rebuilt from the ground up, incorporating many key components, although unnamed in the announcement, into the battalion. Likely, they will mirror that of drone units of the 3rd Assault Brigade.

Other support elements are also being formed, including an Electronic Warfare Company to counter the drone-saturated battlefield. The Repair & Recovery Battalion is also being reorganized to support the brigade’s new armored and mechanized elements, and, most notably, the Headquarters will now include a C2 Section to enhance battlefield communications, coordination, and combat effectiveness.

History of the Brigade

The brigade was formed in March 2022 as the 125th Territorial Defense Brigade in Lviv Oblast, following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This made it the second Territorial Defense Brigade to be raised in Lviv Oblast, alongside the 103rd.

Originally, the brigade consisted of the 215th, 216th, 217th, 218th, and 219th Territorial Defense Battalions, all of which were formed alongside the brigade as separate formations. After its formation, it would go on to see combat throughout the summer of the first year of the full-scale invasion, participate in the defence of Bakhmut, and also defend the Kreminna sector.

In July 2024, the brigade was transferred to the Ukrainian Ground Forces alongside two other Territorial Defense Brigades. Around a year later, it would later become the 125th Heavy Mechanized Brigade and eventually be structurally assigned to the 3rd Army Corps. Following the reformation of the brigade as a heavy mechanized structure, the separate battalions that were formed alongside the brigade were reformed, ceasing to exist as separate entities, but instead were linearized, streamlining their integration structurally into the brigade.

The 216th Territorial Defense Battalion became the 1st Mechanized Battalion, and the 217th Territorial Defense Battalion became the 2nd Mechanized Battalion. These formed the mechanized assets for the brigade.

The 218th Territorial Defense Battalion became the 1st Rifle Battalion, and the 219th Territorial Defense Battalion became the 2nd Rifle Battalion. These formed the light infantry assets for the brigade.

The 215th Territorial Defense Battalion became the brigade’s Unmanned Aerial Systems Battalion, becoming the drone assets for the brigade.

The Future and Beyond

With Fokin’s appointment and now significant reforms underway in the brigade, the future looks promising for this once former Territorial Defense Brigade. Once characterized by its light infantry structure, low morale, and poor command, the formation is gradually becoming a modernized, cohesive, and combat-ready formation ready to serve in one of the most battle-hardened and experienced Army Corps within the Ukrainian Defense Forces.