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17th Tank Brigade (2016–present) 17th Guards Tank Brigade (Sep 2003 – 2016) 17th Guards Tank Division (1965 – Sep 2003) 37th Guards Tank Division (1957–1965) 25th Guards Mechanized Division (1945–1957) 20th Guards Rifle Division (1942–1945) 174th Rifle Division (1940–1942)
Ukrainian: 17-та окрема танкова Криворізька бригада
17th Tank Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
Active	1940–present
Country	Soviet Union (1940–1991)  Ukraine (1991–present)
Branch	Ground Forces
Type	Armoured Forces
Role	Armoured
Size	Brigade
Part of	Operational Command East
Garrison/HQ	Kryvyi Rih MUN А3283
Patron	Kostiantyn Pestushko
Engagements	World War II Russo-Ukrainian War War in Donbas Invasion of Ukraine Battle of Kharkiv Battle of the Siverskyi Donets Battle of Bakhmut Battle of the Svatove–Kreminna line
Battle honours	Kryvyi Rih
Commanders
Current commander	Pavlo Zhytnyak
Notable commanders	Lt. Col. Oleksandr Tarnavskiy

The 17th Tank Brigade is a brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces formed in 1940. The full name of the brigade is the 17th Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade, named after Kostiantyn Pestushko.

History

The unit's history stems from the 174th Rifle Division, which became the 20th Guards Rifle Division in 1942. The 174th Rifle Division fought as part of the 22nd Army in the Polotsk defensive operation, where it escaped encirclement. During the winter of 1942, it fought in defensive and counteroffensive operations in the Battle of Moscow. It was awarded the honorary title of "Guards" and was renamed into the 20th Guards Rifle Division on 17 March 1942.

The 20th Guards Rifle Division fought at the Battle of Stalingrad, Kryvyi Rih, Odesa, Budapest, and Vienna. It was with the 57th Army of the 3rd Ukrainian Front in May 1945.

In 1945, the unit became the 25th Guards Mechanized Division, and in 1957, it was renamed to the 37th Guards Tank Division at Constanza with the 1st Guards Army. The division moved to Kryvyi Rih in 1958 and was subordinated to the 6th Guards Army. In 1960, the 69th Separate Tank Training Battalion, which was part of the 37th Guards Tank Division, was disbanded. On 19 February 1962, the Missile Battalion and the 129th Separate Equipment Maintenance and Recovery Battalion were activated. On 11 January 1965, the 37th Guards Tank Division became the 17th Guards Tank Division, a designation it would retain until the fall of the Soviet Union.

In 1968, the 26th Separate Guards Sapper Battalion became an engineer-sapper battalion. The chemical defence company activated the 44th Separate Chemical Defence Battalion in 1972. The 1055th Separate Material Supply Battalion was formed from the separate motor transport battalion.

In June 1989, the 1158th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment was transferred to East Germany, and was replaced by the 1069th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the 47th Guards Tank Division. The 25th and 92nd Tank Regiments of the 58th Tank Division replaced the division's 216th Guards and 224th Tank Regiments in June 1990. During the Cold War, the division was maintained at 60% strength.

It is still designated a tank division as of Decree N 350/93 (21 August 1993), when Colonel Ivan Svidi, Commander of the 17th Tank Division, 6th Army Corps, Odesa Military District, became a major-general.

In accordance with Decree 925/98, of 23 August 1998, division commander Serhiy Andriyovych Harbuz was promoted to Major General.

In September 2003, the division was downsized into a brigade. After the 6th Army Corps was disbanded in 2013, the brigade became part of Operational Command East.

On 18 November 2015, its honorifics "Red Banner Order of Suvorov" were removed as part of an Armed Forces-wide removal of Soviet awards and honorifics. The Kryvyi Rih battle honour remained because Kryvyi Rih is located in Ukraine. On 22 August 2016 its Guards title was removed.

In 2019 it was granted the honorific "Kostiantyn Pestushko".

During the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport, the word cyborg (Ukrainian: кіборг) was used to refer to the Ukrainian defenders of the airport. It was first applied to these soldiers online, and was picked up by the Ukrainian media. It refers to the way that the airport defenders were able to fend off constant attacks by DPR forces in close quarters with little sleep or support, just as science-fiction cyborgs are "indestructible half-men, half-machines", or "superhuman". The cyborgs have become part of Ukrainian national mythos, and are cast in a "near-legendary light" amongst many Ukrainians. The term "cyborg" is usually applied to the following units: 3rd Spetsnaz Regiment, 93rd Mechanised Brigade, 79th Airmobile Brigade, 17th Tank Brigade, and the Right Sector volunteer battalion.

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the brigade participated in the battle of Kharkiv. From the 8th to the 11th May 2022, in the battle of the Siverskyi Donets, the artillery from the 17th Tank Brigade destroyed a Russian battalion tactical group. The brigade has since been involved in combat in the battle of Bakhmut.

Structure

As of 2023 the brigade's structure is as follows:

• 17th Tank Brigade, Kryvyi Rih
  • Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company
  • 1st Tank Battalion
  • 2nd Tank Battalion
  • 3rd Tank Battalion
  • 4th Tank Battalion
  • 17th Mechanized Infantry Battalion
  • 2nd Rifle Infantry Battalion
  • 17th Artillery Group
    • Headquarters & Target Acquisition Battery
    • Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S3 Akatsiya)
    • Self-propelled Artillery Battalion (2S1 Gvozdika)
    • Rocket Artillery Battalion (BM-21 Grad)
  • Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion
  • Reconnaissance Company
  • Snipers Platoon
  • Fire Platoon
  • Combat Engineer Battalion
  • Maintenance Battalion
  • Logistic Battalion
  • Signal Company
  • Radar Company
  • Medical Company
  • CBRN-defense Company
  • Brigade Band

Past commanders

• Nikolay Mikhaylovich Dreyer – 25 February 1944 – April 1945
• Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Tarnavskiy – temporary commander 2007

Decorations

• Order of Suvorov (removed)
• Order of the Red Banner (removed)
• 15 individual state medals for valor during the Russo-Ukrainian War

References

1. ^ Holm, Michael. "17th Guards Tank Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
2. "Питання удосконалення навичок виконання вправ бойових стрільб з танка планується відпрацювати з військовослужбовцями 17 окремої танкової бригади 6 армійського корпусу на Криворізьському військовому полігоні" [Live fire tank exercises planned for 17th Guards Tank Brigade 6th Army Corps Kryvyi Rih on training ground] (in Ukrainian). Press Center of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. 13 September 2007. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
3. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №618/2019" [DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE №618 / 2019] (in Ukrainian). President of Ukraine. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
4. "Ukrainian soldiers from 17th tank brigade are seen in the Ukrainian position near Bakhmut. Ukrainian armed force is fighting intensely in Bakhmut and the surrounding area as Russian forces are getting ever closer to taking the eastern city of Ukraine. The battle of Bakhmut is now known as "the bloodiest" and "one of the longest fight", it has become one of the most significant fights in the war between Ukraine and Russia Stock Photo - Alamy".
5. "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ № 569/2006" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 569/2006]. president.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Press Service of the President of Ukraine. 23 June 2006. Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
6. ^ "17 окрема танкова бригада" [17th Separate Tank Brigade]. Ukrainian Military Portal (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2016-08-31. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
7. Drogovoz 2003, p. 393
8. "У К А З ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ Про присвоєння військових звань" [Decree of the President of Ukraine On Conferring Military Rank] (in Ukrainian). Verkhovna Rada. Archived from the original on 2016-08-31. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
9. "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №646/2015" [Ukaz President of Ukraine No. 646/2015] (in Ukrainian). President of Ukraine. 18 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-08-31. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
10. "З назв військових частин прибрали радянські відзнаки. СПИСОК" [List of military units with removed Soviet designations]. Istorychna Pravda (in Ukrainian). 21 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-08-31. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
11. "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №344/2016" [Ukaz of the President of Ukraine No. 344/2016] (in Ukrainian). President of Ukraine. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
12. ^ Shevchenko, Vitaly (30 October 2014). "The 'cyborg' defenders of Donetsk airport". BBC News. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
13. Goncharenko, Roman (20 January 2015). "Donetsk airport: Strategic rubble of high symbolic value". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
14. Grytsenko, Oksana (10 October 2014). "'Cyborgs' pledge to defend ruined Donetsk airport". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
15. Miller, James; Vaux, Pierre (22 January 2015). "The Death of Ukraine's Cyborg Army". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
16. "Cyborgs v Kremlin". Ukraine Today. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
17. Troianovski, Anton; Santora, Marc (15 May 2022). "Growing evidence of a military disaster on the Donets pierces a pro-Russian bubble". New York Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
18. Sabbagh, Dan (14 May 2022). "Ukraine repels Russia's attempt to cross Donbas river, and drives invaders away from Kharkiv". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
19. "Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders worry about losing support". www.bbc.co.uk. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
20. "17th Tank Brigade". 17 August 2022. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
21. "Питання удосконалення навичок виконання вправ бойових стрільб з танка планується відпрацювати з військовослужбовцями 17 окремої танкової бригади 6 армійського корпусу на Криворізьському військовому полігоні" [Live fire tank exercises planned for 17th Guards Tank Brigade 6th Army Corps Kryvyi Rih on training ground] (in Ukrainian). Press Center of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. 13 September 2007. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2016.

• Drogovoz, Igor (2003). Танковый меч страны Советов [Tank Sword of the Soviet country] (in Russian). Moscow: AST. ISBN 9851311332.

v t e Ukrainian Ground Forces
General Command OC "West" OC "South" OC "North" OC "East" Armoured Mechanized Infantry Mountain Infantry Rocket Forces and Field Artillery Anti-aircraft Missile Defense Artillery Army Aviation Military Intelligence Electronic Warfare Communications and Cyber ​​Security Corps of Engineers CBRN Protection
Corps	9th Army Corps 10th Army Corps 11th Army Corps
Strategic Groups	Pivnich: (Sumy, Chernihiv, Kiyv, Volyn) Khortytsia: (Kharkiv, Lyman, Soledar, Chasiv Yar) Tavria: (Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Kryvyi Rih) Odesa: (Kherson, Dunay, Vinnitsia) Aleksandriya: (Kakhovka, Primorye)
Brigades	Army Aviation 11 12 16 18 Infantry Presidential 3rd Assault 5th Assault 10th Mountain Assault 14 21 22 23 24 28 30 31 32 33 41 42 43 44 47 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 65 66 67 68th Jaeger 72 92nd Assault 93 100 110 115 116 117 118 128th Mountain Assault 141st Infantry 142nd Infantry 143rd Infantry 144th Infantry 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 Infantry 158 Infantry 159 160 Artillery 26 38 40 43 44 45 47 48 49 55 Reconnaissance 15 Missile 19 Rocket 27 107 Tank 1 3 4 5 14 17 Engineering 47th 48th 49th Assault Engineering 704th CBRN Protection
Regiments	Tank 300th Training Mechanized 354 Training 355 Training Anti-Aircraft Missile 38 39 1039 1121 1129 Artillery 356 Training Engineering Operational Support 12 16 70 91 703 Maintenance 31 50 145 146 532 Pontoon bridge 210 808 Signal 5 7 55 121
Battalions	Motorized Infantry 1st Assault 1 2 3 3rd Mechanized 4 6 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24th Assault 25 25th Assault 33rd Assault 34 40 42 43rd Territorial Defense 46th Assault 48th Assault 49th Assault 97th Mechanized 108th Assault 117th Assault 214th OPFOR 225th Assault 425th Assault Tank 12 Mountain 8 15 108 109 Reconnaissance 54 74 120 129 130 131 143 Rifle 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 44 45 46 48 50 51 52 (Airmobile) 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 70 210th Special Purpose 211th Special Purpose 403 405 407 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 451 Infantry 452 Infantry 453 Infantry 454 Infantry 455 Infantry 456 Infantry 457 Infantry 459 460 468 Engineering 308 309 310 311 321 507 534 Pontoon bridge 11 Electronic Warfare 20 520 Others 78 181 182 183 224 225 226 227 307 718
Educational Institutions	National Academy Sergeant Military College Odesa Military Academy Military Institute of Tank Forces
Training Centers	49 143 151 169 179 180 184 190 197 201 205 239
International Units	Lithuanian–Polish–Ukrainian Brigade Multinational Engineer Battalion Tisa
Unless stated otherwise, the brigade is mechanized. Structure Territorial Defense Forces

v t e Divisions of the Soviet Union 1957–1989
Airborne	7 31 44 Training 76 98 103 104 105 106 107
Artillery	2 15 20 Training 26 34 51 55 81 110 149
Aviation	1 6 12 16 22 36 55 95 Mixed 95 Fighter 119 326
Motor Rifle	Guards 1st – 18th 1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 20th – 39th 20 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 42nd – 66th 42 45 47 48 50 51 (I) 51 (II) 53 55 57 59 62 63 64 66 70th – 97th 70 72 77 81 83 86 87 90 92 93 94 97 109th – 144th 109 112 113 114 115 120 122 123 128 144 Training 2 16 34 37 42 53 62 63 66 80 92 100 112 4th – 27th 4 9 12 13 15 18 19 21 22 24 27 32nd – 49th 32 33 35 40 41 43 44 46 47 48 49 52nd – 69th 52 54 56 58 60 61 62 65 67 68 69 71st – 99th 71 73 74 75 78 79 80 82 84 85 88 89 91 92 93 95 96 99 100th – 119th 100 101 102 108 110 111 114 116 117 118 119 121st – 135th 121 124 125 126 127 129 130 131 134 135 145th – 199th 145 146 147 148 149 150 152 155 157 164 180 192 197 198 199 201st – 295th 201 203 207 213 242 245 254 265 266 270 272 295 Training 43 56 61 67 78 121 129 150
Rocket	4 7 8 10 13 14 18 19 23 24 27 28 29 35 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 49 54 62
Tank	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 Training 25 28 29 30 31 32 34 36 37 40 41 42 44 Training 45 Training 47 48 Training 51 60 75 78 79 90 117 Training 193
Other	OMSDON
Guards units marked in bold unless they are in a Guards section.

• Tank brigades of Ukraine
• Military units and formations of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• History of Kryvyi Rih
• Military units and formations awarded the Order of the Red Banner
• Military units and formations of Ukraine in the war in Donbas
• Military units and formations established in 2003