17th Heavy Mechanized Brigade is a tank formation of Armed Forces of Ukraine. The unit is the direct successor of Soviet 17th Tank Division. In 2014, when the war broken out in Donbas, the unit was in the process of reorganization to 2nd Tank Brigade and only a skeleton staff was present. The reorganization was ceased soon after it and the unit was deployed to Donbas. In fall 2014, most of the brigade was staffed with volunteers, mainly from territorial battalions. Additional mechanized battalions were formed to help 17th Brigade but in 2015, two battalions were transferred to other units. All tank units were withdrawn from the frontline in 2015 after the battle of Debaltseve. On the night of the invasion, part of the brigade was stationed in Luhansk Oblast and one tank battalion in Mariupol. In October 2024, the tank brigade was reformed into a heavy mechanized brigade.

Recent News

Ten years ago, Ukrainian Army was raised on alarm
March 8, 2024

Ukrainian top officials responded to Russian aggression in Crimea and Donbas.

The Army forms its first heavy mechanized brigade
November 1, 2024

The 17th Tank Brigade has been restructured into a heavy brigade.

Structure

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

Brigade’s Headquarters

The unit includes the headquarters, management and commandant platoon.

1st Tank Battalion

The first linear tank battalion of the brigade.

2nd Tank Battalion

The second tank battalion of the brigade.

Mechanized Battalion

The mechanized battalion of the brigade.

2nd Mechanized Battalion

The second linear mechanized battalion of the brigade.

1st Rifle Battalion

Linear rifle battalion of the brigade, formed after the Russian full-scale invasion.

2nd Rifle Battalion

Infantry battalion formed in 2022 to reinforce combat capabilities of the brigade.

Artillery Group

The group includes HQ, target acquisition unit, two self-propelled artillery battalions, rocket artillery unit and anti-tank unit.

Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion

The air defense battalion of the brigade.

Reconnaissance Company

The scouts of the brigade.

Engineer Battalion

The engineers of the brigade.

Maintenance Battalion

The repair & restoration battalion of the brigade.

Logistic Battalion

The logistic battalion of the brigade.

Signal Company

The signal company of the brigade.

Radar Company

The radar and radiolocation company of the brigade.

Medical Company

The medics of the brigade.

CBRN Protection Company

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence unit.

Equipment

Here, you can view the complete list of the unit’s equipment. All images of the vehicles and weapons below are sourced from the unit’s official social media page.

Current equipment

T-64B

Type:

MTB

| Amount:

T-64BV

Type:

MTB

| Amount:

T-72M1

Type:

MBT

| Amount:

BMP-2

Type:

IFV

| Amount:

BMP-1

Type:

IFV

| Amount:

MT-LB

Type:

APC

| Amount:

M113

Type:

APC

| Amount: 1+

BRDM-2

Type:

LAV

| Amount: 2+

MT-LB-S

Type:

APC

| Amount:

M109A4BE

Type:

SPG

| Amount: 4+

2S1 Gvozdika

Type:

Artillery

| Amount:

2S3 Akatsiya

Type:

Artillery

| Amount:

9K35 Strela-10

Type:

Anti-Aircraft

| Amount:

2K22 Tonguska

Type:

Anti-Aircraft

| Amount:

BM-21 Grad

Type:

MLRS

| Amount:

R145

Type:

Radio-comms

| Amount:

Equipment Losses

# Vehicle Type Vehicle Number Date Location
ID_5 T-64BV February 28, 2022 Hnutove, Donetsk Oblast
We currently don’t have information about the unit’s insignia history. Please check back later.

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