25 ОПДБр

Air Assault Troops

7th Rapid Response Corps

Air Assault Forces

25th Airborne Brigade

Full name: 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade

Active:

June 5, 1993 – Today

Military Unit Number:

A1126

Garrison:

Hvardiiske, Dnipro Oblast

Size:

1500 - 5000 servicemen

Motto:

No One But Us!

Unit Role:

Airborne Troops

Ukrainian Units › Air Assault Forces › 25th Airborne Brigade

About Unit

25th Airborne Brigade is a unit of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces.

The brigade began its formation back in May 1993, with an order to establish the 1st Airborne Division on the basis of the 98th Guards Airborne Division going forward. On the basis of the 217th Guards Parachute Regiment from the 98th Guards Airborne Division, the 25th Airborne Brigade of the 1st Airborne Division came into existence.

Its first commander became Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Volodymyrovych Aleshchenko. In June 1993, the brigade came into being, with the brigade swearing its oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people. By December of that year, the formation of the brigade was finalized.

In July 2002, the brigade was presented with its Battle Banner.

On November 8, 2002, the brigade was transferred from the command of the 1st Airborne Division to the 6th Guards Army Corps. Additionally, the brigade received the title Dnipropetrovsk, becoming the 25th Dnipropetrovsk Airborne Brigade.

Following the Revolution of Dignity and the protests at Maidan Square in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Capital, the brigade was ordered by the acting Minister of Defense, Pavlo Lebedev, to send the brigade, alongside the 79th Airmobile Brigade from Mykolaiv, to Kyiv to suppress the rioters.

At the time, only a single battalion of the brigade was fully operational, being the 1st Airborne Battalion, being commonly involved in exercises across the country and the world. During the Russian occupation of Crimea, elements of the brigade operated in Crimea and withdrew to mainland Ukraine, deploying to reinforce the Russo-Ukrainian border in Donetsk and Kherson Oblasts, despite harassment by pro-Russian forces.

Additional battalions were formed following the withdrawal of the brigade to the mainland, and it was also reinforced with reservists and newly mobilized personnel.

During the War in Donbas, the brigade deployed to Slovyansk in April 2014; however suffered an early setback in Kramatorsk, where some units were blocked, disarmed, and forced to withdraw, prompting a brief decision by Oleksandr Turchynov to disband it.

Following this, the brigade took part in key operations, including the defense of Luhansk Airport in Luhansk Oblast, the liberation of Krasnyi Lyman, Yampil, and Slovyansk. They were also involved in fighting around Shakhtarsk, suffering significant losses. Later on, the brigade continued combat missions, defending Donetsk Airport, and remained active in Donbas, with later rotations to the frontline as late as 2019.

After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the brigade was immediately deployed to defend the country. The unit would partake in the Kharkiv offensive in September 2022, with the brigade advancing up to 64 kilometres into Russian-occupied territory. They helped liberate the cities of Izium and Volokhiv Yar.

In late 2022 to 2023, the brigade defended the Luhansk direction, repelling Russian assaults.

Since 2024, the brigade has been deployed to one of the hottest fronts, the Pokrovsk direction, where it has engaged consistently in drone and infantry operations to counterattack and hold positions on the frontline. During the process, the brigade has suffered high casualties.

Insignia

The insignia is a traditional shield divided diagonally into red and blue fields. At its center is a stylized silver eagle’s head and wing, angled forward to convey speed, precision, and offensive momentum, reflecting the brigade’s airborne role. Beneath it are three eight-pointed stars.

06/1993

25th Airborne Brigade

formation of the unit

Colonel

Andriy Turchyn

He began his military career in 2009, graduating from the Odesa Institute of Ground Forces and later serving in the 80th Air Assault Brigade, deploying to eastern Ukraine during the War in Donbas. By 2022, he was serving as a deputy Chief of Staff of a Battalion Tactical Group, participating in combat missions from the outset of the full-scale invasion. He later rose to the command of the 25th Airborne Brigade, leading it in intense fighting in the Pokrovsk direction, including the successful de…

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Recent News
Structure
Equipment
Insignia History

Current Structure

Here you can find the last known structure of the unit, including their insignia if available.

Unit Headquarters

It includes the headquarters, management and commandant platoon.

1st Airborne Battalion

The first linear Airborne Battalion of the Brigade.

Show Subordinated Units ›

Headquarters and Headquarters Company

The Headquarters and Headquarters Company of the Battalion.

1st Parachute Company

The first linear Parachute Company of the Battalion.

2nd Parachute Company

The second linear Parachute Company of the Battalion.

3rd Parachute Company

The third linear Parachute Company of the Battalion.

4th Parachute Company

The fourth linear Parachute Company of the Battalion.

Fire Support Company

The Fire Support Company of the Battalion.

Unmanned Systems Platoon “Echo-2”

The Unmanned Systems Platoon of the Battalion. It bears the nickname “Echo-2”.

Engineer-Sapper Platoon

The Engineer-Sapper Platoon of the Battalion.