1st Motorized Battalion

1st Separate Motorized Battalion “Volyn” was a motorized battalion of the Ground Forces of Ukraine. It originated as the 1st Territorial Defense Battalion “Volyn”, formed primarily from volunteers and mobilized personnel from Lutsk and Volyn Oblast.

The battalion was established on 31 May 2014 under the Law of Ukraine “On the Defense of Ukraine”. Combat training began on 10 June 2014 at the training ground in Volodymyr. Although the unit had originally been scheduled to train at the base of the 51st Mechanized Brigade, the brigade had already deployed to the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) in eastern Ukraine. Battalion commander Serhiy Kozak refused to certify the unit as combat-ready after the planned ten-day training period, arguing that the time was insufficient. As a result, training was extended until 18 July 2014, making the battalion one of the few territorial defense units to receive an extended preparation period.

In July 2014, the battalion was deployed to strengthen the Ukrainian border defenses in Chernihiv Oblast and later Sumy Oblast. The unit initially lacked adequate transport and armored vehicles, relying on public donations and confiscated civilian vehicles provided by the Volyn Regional State Administration.

In September 2014, the battalion was redeployed to the Debaltseve sector, and received six BRDM armored reconnaissance vehicles. During its deployment, the battalion participated in defensive operations in eastern Ukraine. After rotating out of the combat zone in December 2014, personnel criticized the practice of deploying lightly equipped territorial defense battalions on the front line while regular army brigades occupied rear defensive positions.

In October 2014, Ukrainian authorities announced plans to reorganize the battalion into the 99th Motorized Battalion. The proposal met resistance from personnel, who reportedly objected to being required to sign contracts with the new unit and argued that the territorial defense battalion should remain responsible for the defense of Volyn Oblast. The reorganization was ultimately not implemented.

In January 2015, the battalion was subordinated to the 14th Mechanized Brigade and reorganized as the 1st Separate Motorized Battalion. At the time of its reorganization, the battalion had approximately 450 personnel. Partial demobilization took place in May 2015, followed by a second wave in September 2015, reducing the battalion to roughly one-third of its authorized strength.

The battalion remained in service until it was disbanded in 2020.