18th Army Aviation Brigade is a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
It was formed in February 2015 to meet the demands of operations involving army aviation. However, the brigade only became functional and operational on October 1, 2015, with the first Mi-8 helicopter being inducted into the brigade.
The brigade was established on the basis of the 215th Aviation Command, a reserve airfield for the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force.
On March 26, 2017, an Mi-2 helicopter of the brigade crashed near Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, with five crew members being killed in the crash. On December 5, 2020, the brigade received the honorary title named after Ihor Siorsky.
Following the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, the brigade helped to destroy a Russian column near the city of Bashtanka, Mykolaiv Oblast. During the last mission to help destroy the column, two of the brigade’s helicopters were shot down, killing six servicemen.
It also partook in the Mariupol airlifts to help evacuate severely wounded defenders of the besieged city, and help the resupply effort to sustain the defense of the city. On March 16, 2022, an Mi-8 helicopter of the brigade was shot down, killing Captain Meheda Serhiy Oleksandrovych.
On August 29, 2023, an Mi-8 helicopter of the brigade crashed in Kramatorsk, killing six personnel, with Captain Anisimov Yuri Mikhailovich being reported to have been amongst those who had been killed.
On December 12, 2025, the brigade received the Award For Courage and Bravery by Ukrinian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Insignia
The insignia illustrates a chevron with a light green base and a white shield. Its core symbolism depicts a blue chevron with a yellow Cossack cross, nestled with three arrow heads in white, facing the bottom of the insignia.
