425th Assault Regiment

425th Assault Regiment “Skelya” is a unit of the Ukrainian Assault Forces.

The battalion was originally formed some time after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and was named after the callsign of the battalion’s commander, translating to “Rock”.

In July 2022, the unit worked with the 40th Artillery Brigade in Kharkiv Oblast to make preparations for the anticipated Kharkiv offensive, striking many Russian positions. Following the beginning of the Kharkiv offensive in 2022, the battalion was one of the first units to enter Izyum on September 9, 2022, and help liberate it.

In the spring of 2023, the battalion conducted assault operations in the direction of Bakhmut, alongside units like the 3rd Assault Brigade, ensuring key positions were maintained around the city. During the summer offensive by Ukrainian forces towards Melitopol in 2023, the battalion stormed Russian positions in the highly contested village of Robotyne in Zaporizhia Oblast.

After the fall of Avdiivka in February 2024, the battalion was deployed to help the defense of the Ocheretyne settlement, which failed. In March 2024, it was discovered that the unit had M1117 vehicles in its arsenal, making it the first appearance of these vehicles in Ukraine. They had operated them since the summer of 2022, operating alongside the 40th Artillery Brigade.

At the end of November 2024, the battalion took enemy positions near the village of Mykolayivka, Donetsk Oblast, in the Pokrovsk sector. In December 2024, the battalion captured the village of Rozdolne near Velyka Novoselka. Later that month, they stormed the village of Shevchenko near Pokrovsk.

In January 2025, the battalion was reformed and expanded, and became the 425th Assault Regiment “Skala”. In August 2025, the unit was renamed from “Skala” to “Skelya“, to be in line with modern Ukrainian linguistic practices, and was also placed under the command of the newly formed Assault Troops formation.

From February 2025, 210th Separate Territorial Defense Battalion became temporarily assigned under the direct command of the 425th Assault Regiment, fighting in the Pokrovsk direction. In the course of the year, the unit was reformed into the 210th Unmanned Systems Battalion, and later has been integrated into Skelya, with Konstantin Rusanov as its commander and Deputy Commander of the regiment.

In 2026, majority of 2nd and 3rd battalions of 160th Mechanized Brigade were attached to Skelya Regiment fighting in Hryshyne, involved in attempts to retake lost positions, sustaining significant losses in the process.

Insignia

The insignia displays a chevron with a vibrant orange-yellow color on its border. The canvas of the chevron is a subdued grey-green tone. Above it is a stylized rocky mountain, with the inscription of the regiment’s designation.