28 separate mechanized brigade

The 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign has been defending Ukraine since the very beginning of russia’s aggression.

In 2014, brigade units were deployed to Donetsk region to cover the state border near the village of Marynivka. After completing the combat mission, they were redeployed to the area of Kuteynykove, near the city of Ilovaisk, and later returned for recovery.

From the fall of 2014 to the spring of 2015, the brigade carried out combat missions along the Nevelske–Volnovakha defense line and played a key role in repelling the enemy's advance during the attempted capture of Maryinka by russian forces.

Until August 2021, during the Joint Forces Operation, the brigade consistently held defensive positions near the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Maryinka, Novomykhailivka, and Taramchuk.

From the first day of the full-scale invasion, the brigade defended Odesa and parts of Mykolaiv region. After the russian occupation of Kherson and the beginning of their offensive toward Mykolaiv, the brigade moved to defend Mykolaiv. The most intense fighting occurred in the settlements of Posad-Pokrovske and Oleksandrivka, where one of the brigade’s battalions, while fully encircled, successfully fought for 21 consecutive days.

Since August 2022, the brigade played a key role in the offensive operation to liberate Kherson and was among the first units to enter the city on November 11, 2022.

From early December 2022 to the present, the brigade has been conducting combat missions in the Bakhmut direction, eliminating enemy personnel and equipment.

The 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign has been honored with numerous state and departmental awards for courage, professionalism, and heroism in the defense of Ukraine. On May 6, 2022, the brigade received the Presidential Honor “For Courage and Bravery.” In 2015, its servicemen were awarded medals “For the Defense of the Homeland,” badges of honor “Dignity and Honor,” and other AFU distinctions. The brigade commander was also awarded an order and ceremonial weapon. An important internal honor is the brigade commander’s honorary award, given to soldiers for exemplary service. In recognition of the brigade’s significant contribution to the struggle for independence, a street in Odesa was named in its honor.