The 10th Mountain Assault Brigade was formed on 1 October 2015,[2] in Kolomyia, as part of the Operational Command West. Its formation was driven by the need to protect Northern Bukovina from potential Romanian territorial claims and to prepare for any future conflict with Russia.[3] The brigade was composed of experienced soldiers and volunteers, including the 24th Separate Assault Battalion "Aidar".[4] Its first commander, Colonel Vasyl Zubanych, was a Hero of Ukraine and a former battalion commander in the 128th Mechanized Brigade.[3] To attract new recruits, the brigade offered a 25% pay increase to volunteers who joined the brigade on a contract basis.[5] In January 2016, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reported that the brigade was ready to begin its combat training.[6][failed verification] The brigade was stationed at Bila Tserkva and later relocated to Kolomyia once new barracks were completed.[5] In February 2016, the Ukrainian Ground Forces decided to form a new Bukovina mountain battalion in Chernivtsi, and the 8th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion and the 46th Separate Special-Purpose Battalion "Donbas-Ukraine" were added to the brigade's roster.[7]
Starting on 25 May 2016, the brigade was deployed to the ATO zone.[8] The brigade was deployed to defend the areas around Marinka and Krasnohorivka.[2][9] On 24 August 2016, the Independence Day of Ukraine, the brigade was presented with its battle flag by President Petro Poroshenko, recognizing their bravery and dedication in defending their country.[10] During its first tour in the Donbas war, the brigade lost 22 which were killed in action before the end of the deployment.[11] After completing its tour in the Donbas, the brigade returned to Kolomyia in November 2016.[8]
The 24th Assault and 46th Separate Special Purpose Battalions were withdrawn from the brigade due to the desire to station them closer to their homes, as 80% of their personnel were from eastern Ukraine.[2] The brigade underwent further reorganization after its first deployment to the war in Donbas from May to November 2016.[7] In December 2016, the 108th and 109th Separate Mountain Assault Battalions were established to replace the previously withdrawn 24th Assault and 46th Separate Special Purpose Battalions.[2] The brigade resumed its mountain training, including a climb to Veliky Verkh and to the summit of Hoverla, the tallest peak in Ukraine, to honor the Ukrainian casualties of the Battle of Debaltseve.[12] In September 2017, the brigade was deployed again to the Donbas to defend positions around Popasna, with a soldier being killed in action on 23 September during fighting at Novooleksandrivka.[13]
Russian invasion of Ukraine
The brigade was reported to have taken part in the defense of the country in battles around Mariupol in February 2022[14] In mid-March 2022, units of the brigade's 109th Battalion captured the village of Kukhari [uk] in Kyiv Oblast, preventing a potential Russian breakthrough towards Kyiv.[15] On 11 March 2022, 19 members of the brigade's 108th Battalion were killed by a Russian airstrike on their position in the village of Liudvynivka [uk], Kyiv Oblast.[16]
By December 2022, the brigade was reportedly involved in combat around Bakhmut.[17]On 14 February 2023, the brigade was granted the Edelweiss honorific by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in honor of its mountain troops traditions.[18]
Structure
As of 2023, the brigade's structure is as follows:[citation needed]
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