33rd Assault Regiment

33rd Assault Regiment is a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

It was initially formed in December 2023 as the 33rd Assault Battalion.

In 2024, it helped to defend Kharkiv Oblast against a series of Russian incursions and offensive operations into the region after May 2024, in an attempt to divert Ukrainian troops away from Donbas following the fall of Avdiivka in February 2024.

Later that year, in August 2024, the unit was deployed to Kursk Oblast in Russia, storming and clearing Russian positions to advance. Eventually, it was redeployed to the Pokrovsk direction, which had begun to become more intense against Russian forces.

In December 2024, the battalion, after demonstrating its effectiveness on the frontline, was selected by Commander in Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, to be expanded into a regiment. Due to its selection by Syrskyi himself, the unit was set to receive priority with manpower and equipment compared to other units.

In February 2025, the unit received Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles and was also seen alongside 1A3 Marder vehicles, becoming one of the handful of units in the Ukrainian Defense Forces to operate these vehicles.

In August 2025, it was announced by the Ukrainian General Staff that the formation of a new separate type of troops, namely the Assault Troops, would come into fruition, with the commander of the regiment, Colonel Valentyn Manko, to become the commander.

However, a month later, this decision was ultimately questioned, with Manko being at the crux of a large scandal, being accused by military personnel and volunteers of breaching operational security after sharing imagery of maps online.

Insignia

The insignia displays a traditional chevron with a deep green canvas and a yellow-gold border. At its center lies an intricate silver Celtic-style knot, forming an interwoven triangular pattern, symbolizing unity and resilience. Nestled around this are three prominent golden spiral designs, surrounded by three dark, metallic grey blades.