| 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (2023–present) 9th Separate Marine Regiment (2016–2023) | |
|---|---|
| 9-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая бригада | |
 Sleeve patch | |
| Active | 2016–present |
| Country |  Russia |
| Branch |  Russian Ground Forces |
| Part of |  51st Combined Arms Army |
| Nickname(s) | Mariupol–Khingan Naval Infantry |
| Engagements | |
| Battle honours |  Guards |
| Insignia | |
| Former Sleeve Patches |   |
The 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, formerly known as the 9th Separate Marine Regiment and commonly known as the Mariupol–Khingan Naval Infantry is a military unit of the Russian Ground Forces. Until January 1, 2023, it was part of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR). It is attached to the 1st Donetsk Army Corps.
History
War in Donbas
The 9th Mariupol-Khingan was formed from the remnants of the Semenovsky Battalion, a loose formation of locals and Russian volunteers who took part in the fighting in Sloviansk and at Donetsk Airport. A reformed and strengthened Semenovsky Battalion then took part in the offensive towards Mariupol, and helped to capture the coastal town of Novoazovsk on 28 August 2014. Later it took part in the fighting for the coastal town of Shyrokyne by the Azov Sea.
In February 2016, the former battalion was reformed into the 9th Separate Marine Regiment by a special decree of the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko. The name of the unit was based on the Soviet 221st Rifle Division which took part in the liberation of Mariupol during World War II. By 2017, the regiment had over 1,200 soldiers and was equipped with T-72 tanks, BMP-2s, and BTR-80s.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
In 2022 the regiment took part in the siege of Mariupol. In 2023 the regiment was reformed into the 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade and became attached to the 1st Donetsk Army Corps. Following the battle of Avdiivka, the brigade was thanked by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in a congratulatory telegram. The brigade then took part in the 2024 Kharkiv offensive. It was then transferred to the Donetsk Oblast in order to take part in the Pokrovsk offensive.
References
- https://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/Russian%20Offensive%20Campaign%20Assessment%2C%20March%2028%2C%202023%20PDF.pdf
- Crowther, Edward R.; Crowther, Edward R. (2022). Armed formations of the Donetsk People's Republic, 2014-2022. War in Ukraine / Edward Crowther. Warwick: Helion & Company Limited. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-915070-66-1.
- "На фронте без перемен". www.kommersant.ru. June 24, 2017.
- "Who's Responsible: Documenting Loss in Mariupol, a Ukrainian City Besieged and Devastated". Human Rights Watch. February 8, 2024.
- "Андрею Мордвичёву, генерал-полковнику". 17 February 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-02-18.
- "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War.
- "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
- "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 2024-11-28.