23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade

The 23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is part of the 20th Army Corps and Operational Command “South.”

It was formed in the midst of the full-scale war, when the country needed new forces. Its formation began under a directive of the General Staff in the winter of 2022–2023. The official date of the unit’s creation is February 28, 2023.

During the spring of 2023, the soldiers of the 23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade underwent basic combined arms and specialized training, unit coordination, and tactical exercises.

Already in the spring of 2023, the brigade’s units joined the Defense Forces — in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, where the enemy tests the strength of Ukrainian defensive lines every day. In the areas of Marinka and Krasnohorivka, the brigade’s fighters repelled attacks by Russian occupation forces.

Then the brigade took part in the main military events of 2023 — the counteroffensive. In the summer, the brigade launched offensive operations in the Zaporizhzhia direction. The soldiers liberated Novodarivka and Levadne — at the cost of great effort and losses.

In the autumn of 2023, the offensive continued along the Robotyne line, in the direction of Novoprokopivka and Rivne.

In the winter of 2023–2024, the brigade held the defense in the Avdiivka direction — near Krasnohorivka and Ocheretyne. In the spring of 2024, it returned for recovery to its permanent deployment location — the city of Samar in Dnipropetrovsk region.

In the summer and autumn of 2024, the brigade conducted defensive operations in the area of Chasiv Yar. In the winter of 2024–2025, the soldiers held “hot” directions in Donetsk region, particularly the Kurakhove direction.

In the spring of 2025, the soldiers of the 23rd continued fighting on the same intense lines — Rozlyv, Odradne, Bahatyr, and other “hot spots” of Donetsk region.

In the summer of 2025, the brigade became part of the 20th Army Corps and continued defensive battles in the Novopavlivka direction — in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

In the autumn of 2025, the winter of 2025–2026, and up to the present, the brigade’s units are holding positions in the Oleksandrivka direction.

In combat, the brigade’s soldiers have demonstrated resilience and professionalism: they did not retreat before the enemy and did everything possible to accomplish their missions. During the course of combat operations, the forces of the 23rd Separate Mechanized Brigade inflicted significant losses on the enemy. The efforts of the soldiers were recognized by the President of Ukraine: the brigade was awarded the Battle Flag. The flag was presented in February 2025 — as a symbol of honor, valor, and glory.