12th Army Aviation Brigade is a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
It was formed on the basis of the 340th Long-Range Aviation Regiment, which was stationed in Czechoslovakia before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces after Ukraine gained its independence. Immediately, the unit was redesignated as the 7th Army Aviation Regiment.
In 1995, the regiment partook in peacekeeping operations with the United Nations, being active in Yugoslavia, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, and the Congo.
From 2000 to 20004, the brigade’s Mi-8 helicopters helped in firefighting operations in Turkey and Portugal.
During hostilities in eastern Ukraine, known as the War in Donbas, the regiment took part in many high profile battles, including the First Battle of Donetsk Airport to pave the way for transport helicopters, 3 Mi-24s passed the airport terminals.
Amidst the battle of Heorohiivka, the regiment was deployed against what it was believed to be regular Russian Forces, with two Mi-24’s being called in for suppot, and were shot down due to a lack of coordination by a Pantsir S1 air defense system.
In 2016, the regiment was expanded into a brigade.
On December 5, 2020, the unit received the honorary title named after Viktor Pavlenko.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the brigade’s headquarters, along with three other army aviation bases, were struck on February 24, 2022, the starting date of the invasion.
On April 5, 2022, with army units, the brigade helped to conduct airlifts into the besieged city of Mariupol to evacuate critically wounded defenders of the Azovstal Iron and Steel works complex with an Mi-8. During the mission, supplies were safely transported to the defenders.
During the return of the helicopter, it was shot down by a Russian missile. Major Borys Borysovych Goroshko, Senior Lt Sindiy Vyacheslav Yuriyovych, and Captain Bohdan Chychura were killed in the attack.
On September 30, 2025, the unit was awarded the Award For Courage and Bravery by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Insignia
The insignia depicts a chevron with a subdued green canvas and silver grey border. At its center is a stylized dragon with its right wing open, breathing a red flame of fire from its mouth to symbolize ferocity and strength.
