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8th Separate Special Purpose Regiment (Ukraine)

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Special Operations Center "West"

8th Special Operations Regiment (2003-)

8th Special Operations Brigade (1992-2003)
Окремий центр спеціальних операцій «Захід»
Regiment Insignia
Active1992-present
Country Ukraine
Allegiance Ukraine
Branch Ukrainian Ground Forces (1991-2016)
Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (2016-)
TypeRegiment
RoleSpecial Operations
Garrison/HQKhmelnytskyi
Nickname(s)Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich Regiment
EngagementsPeacekeeping Operations

Russo-Ukrainian War

DecorationsCourage and Bravery
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Andrii Arkadiyovych Matviishen
Insignia
Shoulder Patch

8th Separate Special Operations Regiment or the Special Operations Center "West" ("Prince Izyaslav Mstislavych"), unit number A0553, is a regiment of the Special Operations Forces. It is headquartered in the city of Khmelnytskyi and a part of the Joint Rapid Reaction Forces. Since 2014, the regiment has participated in the many battles of the Russo-Ukrainian War being reformed into a separate special operations center in 2022.

History

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Establishment

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After the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the 8th Special Brigade of the Red Army was subordinated to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence.

In September 2003, the unit was reformed from a brigade to the 8th separate special purpose regiment (A0553).[1]

Foreign Deployment

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Since February 18, 2004, a platoon of the unit was deployed for peacekeeping operations in Wasit Governorate in Iraq, as well as in Sierra Leone, Liberia and other conflict zones.[2][3]

Military training exercises

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The regiment participated in multiple large scale military exercises, including the "Adequate response-2011" and "Perspectives-2012".[2]

In 2012, the regiment was described as "the best part of intelligence" of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.[2]

In 2013, athletes of the 8th special purpose regiment won the military applied sports championship of Ukrainian Ground Forces.[4]

In 2013, the regiment also conducted training at the Havryshiv military airfield, near Vinnytsia which included an airborne assault with an An-26, capturing command posts amongst other objectives.[5]

On February 15, 2014, a meeting of the leadership of the military intelligence of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was held at the 8th regiment's base.[6]

War in Donbas

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The regiment participated in multiple combat operations during the War in Donbas

Personnel of the 8th Regiment in Donetsk Oblast during the War in Donbas

2014

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In June 2014, the 8th regiment took part in a battle against the pro Russian separatists near the city of Shchastya in Luhansk Oblast suffering multiple wounded.[7][8]

The 8th Regiment was involved in the rescue operation of an An-26 shot down by separatists over the territory occupied by them. Four crew members were rescued while two were captured by separatists.[9]

The regiment was also involved in clearance operations in more than 18 administrative buildings of the city of Kramatorsk.[10]

On June 17, 2014, during the battle of Metalist, personnel from the 8th special forces regiment were sent as reinforcement for the Aydar battalion, five special forces were wounded by separatist APC and RPG and one of the personnel Yevgeny Zelenskyi, died on June 24 from his wounds.[11]

On July 9, 2014, a KAMAZ vehicle of the regiment with 8 personnel was ambushed near the village of Muratove killing one soldier (Savanchuk Victor Yuriyovych) and wounding three others.[12]

On July 20, 2014, the regiment under the command of Major Oleksandr Petrakivskyi took part in the Battle of Luhansk Airport, securing the passage of Ukrainian military to the airport, Major Oleksandr was wounded in action.[13] Regiment personnel moved in two strike forces, one reached first and provided cover to the second, numbering 14 people[14] under the leadership of Petrakivskyi continued to advance. After a reconnaissance mission, they decided to strike deep into separatist territory, after advancing a few hundred metres, they were attacked by Rocket Propelled Grenades but they missed, the regiment personnel continued to advance facing stiff resistance from the separatists and retaliated inflicting losses on the separatists.[15] Several of the regiment's personnel were wounded including the gunner who was wounded severely. The regiment's convoy had to be stopped and take up defense but their position was shelled by mortar, injuring a large number of soldiers including Oleksandr Petrakivskyi who was wounded in the head.[13][15] The battle lasted 5 hours, ending with the evacuation of the personnel on APCs. Two personnel of the regiment Pavlo Ilchuk and Andrii Vasylyshyn were killed in action.[15]

8th Regiment personnel installing an anti tank landmine during the War in Donbas

On August 26, 2014, the regiment participated in the Battle of Ilovaisk, the city was penetrated by separatists. An Armored Personnel Carrier carrying the regiment personnel came under artillery fire leading to the death of a soldier of the regiment (Oleksandr Valeriyovych).[16] Another soldier (Andriyuk Yevhen Oleksandrovych) died in the same battle on an unknown date.[17]

2015

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On January 29, 2015, the 8th separate regiment captured Igla MANPADS, five MON-100 anti-personnel mines, PB suppressed handguns, Russian military uniform, machine guns and cartridges belonging to the separatists in the Luhansk Oblast.[18]

8th Regiment soldier on a reconnaissance operation in 2015

In February 2015, the 8th Special Purpose Regiment under the command of Major Yevgeny Slominsky operated in the village of Khoroshe.[19][20]

On February 10, 2015, a rocket attack by separatists on Kramatorsk Airport using BM-30 Smerch MLRS, led to the deaths of one soldier of the regiment (Yevhen Valeriyovych Bushnin) amongst others.[21]

On February 14, during the Battle of Debaltseve, units of the regiment and 73rd Naval Special Operations Regiment guarded the section of the Debaltseve-Artemivsk highway in the Luhansk Oblast for the safe withdrawal of Ukrainian troops.[22]

The regiment participated in the Battle of Shchastia and on July 7, 2015, a KAMAZ of the regiment was ambushed by separatists who attacked using machine guns and grenade launchers leading to the death of one soldier (Volodymyr Serhiyovych Brozhko) of the regiment and wounding of three others.[23]

In September 2015, the regiment conducted mine clearance operations in the village of Krymske, Novoaidar Raion while simultaneously engaging the separatists in a battle, a soldier of the regiment (Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Mandybura) was killed and two were wounded in a landmine explosion.[24]

2016

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The unit became a part of the Special Operations Forces (Ukraine) with its establishment in January 2016.[25]

On July 23, 2016, the unit took part in a battle with separatists near the village of Novozvanivka, Popasna Raion. They discovered advancing militants and attacked them killing two and wounding eight separatists. The soldiers captured a huge cache of weapons, mines, and ammunition belonging to the separatists. To stop Ukrainians from taking the captured weaponry, the separatists started attacking using 82 mm Mortars and 160 mm Mortar M1943, AGS-17, SPG-9, an anti-aircraft gun, a 122-mm self-propelled gun, and later also a tank killing a soldier (Serhiy Shadskikh) and wounding four others.

Then about 20 separatists attacked the Ukrainian positions but were repulsed after having two separatists killed and five wounded. The Ukrainians temporarily retreated and then came back, to prevent further attack they carried out an operation during which a soldier (Roman Mykhailovych Matviets) died and three were wounded, meanwhile five more separatists were also killed.[26][27]

2017

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On June 24, 2017, the regiment was involved in a combat operation in the village of Sokilnyky, Novoaidar Raion and while returning they came across a minefield killing two soldiers of the regiment (Ishchuk Oleksii Vasyliovych and Vasyl Mykhailovych Lavrys).[28][29][30]

The regiment participated in the Battle of Slavyansk (2019) and on July 18, 2019, he died during an engagement with the militants a soldier of the regiment (Bogdan Dmytrovych Bigus) was killed and another was seriously wounded.[31]

2019

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On September 10, 2019, a group of the regiment was ambushed while returning from a combat mission in the Luhansk Oblast killing a soldier of the regiment (Maksym Volodymyrovych Kondratyuk).[32]

2021

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On December 6, 2021, at the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, fifteen Humvees were transferred to the unit as a part of an arms package from the United States.[33]

Full-scale invasion

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2022

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In 2022, after the Full scale Russian Invasion of Ukraine, the regiment was called as the Separate Special Operations Center "West" and was given an honorary name of Prince Izyaslav Mstislavich and was awarded the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery (Ukraine)" on August 24, 2022.[34]

On April 13, 2022, while operating in the Joint Forces Operation territory, the regiment engaged with the Russians, the engagement led to the death of one soldier of the regiment (Maksym Volodymyrovych Kondratyuk).[35]

2023

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The regiment participated in the Battle of Bakhmut and on July 14, 2023, a soldier of the regiment (Tegza Anatoly Yaroslavovych) was killed outside Bakhmut[36] during an assault on enemy positions while saving others of the regiment and another brigade from snipers.[37][38]

On June 21, 2023, another soldier of the regiment (Artem Oleksandrovich Sokolovskyi) was killed in combat in the village of Vasylkivka near Bakhmut.[39]

The regiment was involved in combat operations in the village of Verbove, Zaporizhzhia Oblast as a part of the 2023 Ukrainian Counteroffensive and a soldier of the unit (Atamanyuk Anton Mykhailovych) was killed in action on 15 October 2023.[40]

2024

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On 16 August 2024, during the 2024 Kursk offensive, the regiment published a video in which they ambushed a Russian truck, purportedly killing a dozen soldiers "in a few minutes".[41]

Structure

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It is classified amongst the most combat ready regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and is composed of the following subunits.[42]

  • Regiment Headquarters
  • 1st Special Purpose Squad
  • 2nd Special Purpose Squad
  • 3rd Special Purpose Squad
  • 4th Special Purpose Squad
  • Personnel Security Squad
  • Communications Squad

Commanders

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  • Colonel Pavlo Oleksiiovych Davidyuk (1992–1994)
  • Colonel Predchuk Anatoly Petrovych (1994–1999)
  • Colonel Oleksandr Hryhorovych Shelykh (1999–2002)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Ihor Valeriyovych Overin (2002-?)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Hordiychuk Ihor Volodymyrovych (?-?)[43]
  • Lieutenant Colonel Serhii Hryhorovych Kryvonos (?-?)
  • Lieutenant Colonel Denisyuk Vasyl (?-2011)[44]
  • Colonel Oleg Oleksandrovich Nechaev (2011–2019)[45][46]
  • Colonel Shablii Volodymyr Volodymyrovych (2019–2020)[47]
  • Colonel Andrii Arkadiyovych Matviishen (2020-)[48][49]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Mykhailo Slobodyanuk. Нарукавні емблеми підрозділів спеціального призначення Сухопутних військ Збройних Сил України // Odnostriy. Military-historical magazine. — No. 9. —2009.
  2. ^ a b c Oleksii Trygub. Ювіляри ізяславсько-хмельницького гарту Archived 9 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, People's Army, No. 231 (5083), December 15, 2012
  3. ^ "Война в Ираке глазами украинского офицера". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  4. ^ "Хмельницький спецпризнач чемпіони України". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  5. ^ "На Вінниччині військові авіатори відпрацювали завдання у тандемі із спецпризначенцями з Хмельниччини". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  6. ^ "Розвідка Сухопутних військ". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Боєць 8-го окремого полку спецпризначення (Хмельницький) помер від вогнепальних поранень". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  8. ^ "Перша втрата хмельницького спецназу на Сході". Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  9. ^ Розвідники врятували військових льотчиків Archived 9 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Public relations service of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.
  10. ^ "Восьмий окремий полк спеціального призначення розміновує Краматорськ". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  11. ^ "Герой України Зеленський Євгеній Олександрович - Головне управління розвідки МО України". gur.gov.ua. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
  12. ^ Вінниччина провела в останню путь ще одного свого бійця — Віктора Саванчука
  13. ^ a b "Президент присвоїв звання Герой України військовим Олександру Петраківському і посмертно - Сергію Кривоносову та Дмитру Майбороді - Офіційне представництво Президента України". 2014-12-09. Archived from the original on 2014-12-09. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  14. ^ "ЛЕГЕНДА ПРО КОМАНДИРСЬКУ КАСКУ - Народна армія". 2014-12-25. Archived from the original on 2014-12-25. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  15. ^ a b c "П'ять років тому у бою під Луганськом загинув буковинець Андрій Василишин". acc.cv.ua (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  16. ^ Пасічник Олександр Валерійович
  17. ^ Андріюк Євген Олександрович Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ "Спецназівці "вполювали" схрон із ворожою зброєю". Archived from the original on 1 February 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
  19. ^ Цензор.НЕТ. "МАЙОР 8-ГО ПОЛКУ СПЕЦНАЗУ ЄВГЕН СЛОМІНСЬКИЙ: "РОМА ЦІНОЮ СВОГО ЖИТТЯ ЗМУСИВ ЗАМОВКНУТИ КУЛЕМЕТНИКА, ЯКИЙ ПОРАНИВ ТРЬОХ НАШИХ БІЙЦІВ"". Цензор.НЕТ (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 7 August 2017. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  20. ^ Проект «Якби не війна» (2017-09-21). "Інтерв'ю Євгена Сломінського". archive.is. Archived from the original on 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  21. ^ Бушнін Євген Валерійович Archived 6 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ "Аналіз Генерального штабу ЗСУ щодо бойових дій на Дебальцевському плацдармі з 27 січня до 18 лютого 2015 року". Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  23. ^ Брожко Володимир Сергійович Archived 6 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ Мандибура Олександр Олександрович Archived 26 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ "Ukraine's Special Operations chief appointed". en.lb.ua. 5 January 2016.
  26. ^ Матвієць Роман Михайлович Archived 25 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ Спецпризначенець врятував життя десятків побратимів Archived 25 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Міноборони: двоє військових загинули від підриву на міні Archived 9 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ У зоні АТО загинув боєць 8 полку з Красилівського району Archived 9 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ Присягу двічі не дають... Archived 9 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ "Український воїн Богдан Бігус загинув 18 липня під час виконання бойового завдання в зоні ООС". Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  32. ^ Кондратюк Максим Володимирович Archived 18 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ "ЗСУ отримали військову техніку". Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  34. ^ "Три частини ССО отримали стрічку до Бойового Прапора "За мужність та відвагу"". ukrmilitary.com. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  35. ^ "У шпиталі після важкого поранення помер Максим Кондратюк із 8-го полку спецпризначення". Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  36. ^ Petersburg, Natalia (2023-10-19). "Анатолій "WarWar" Тегза. Він брав участь у 100 % операцій і не знав слова "неможливо"". Iнформаційно-аналітичний інтернет-портал «Ужгород». Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  37. ^ "У війні з росією, рятуючи побратимів, поліг Анатолій Тегза". Закарпаття онлайн. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  38. ^ "Врятував побратима та командира суміжного підрозділу: в районі Бахмута загинув командир "Карпатської Січі"". Волинська служба новин. 2023-06-17. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
  39. ^ "Соколовський Артем Олександрович". Хмельницька міська рада. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  40. ^ "Атаманюк Антон Миколайович".
  41. ^ Dozen Russian soldiers killed in a few minutes: Ukrainian Special Forces show results of ambush in Kursk Oblast – video
  42. ^ "Хмельницькі спецпризначенці приведені у вищий ступінь бойової готовності (ФОТО, ВІДЕО)". Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  43. ^ На Хмельниччині пройшли навчання у 8-му окремому полку спеціального призначення
  44. ^ "Хмельницькі спецназівці відсвяткували 80-ту річницю ВДВ та день Аеромобільних військ". Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  45. ^ "Хмельницькі спецназівці тестують експериментальну форму за 38 тисяч гривень". Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  46. ^ "Командр хмельницької "вісімки" Нечаєв пішов на підвищення". Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  47. ^ "У 8-му окремому полку спецпризначення змінили командира". Новинарня (in Ukrainian). 2020-11-06. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
  48. ^ "58-му річницю від дня створення відзначає військова частина А1788". Хмельницька міська рада (in Ukrainian). 2020-12-16. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  49. ^ "8th Regiment Ukraine (Facebook)". Facebook. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
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