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21st Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade

21st Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
Russian: 21-я отдельная гвардейская Краснознаменная Омско-Новобугская ордена Богдана Хмельницкого мотострелковая бригада
21st Guards Motor Rifle Brigade shoulder sleeve insignia
Active2009–2024
Country Russia
Branch Russian Ground Forces
TypeMotorized Infantry
SizeBrigade
Part of2nd Guards Combined Arms Army, Central Military District
Garrison/HQTotskoye, Orenburg Oblast
MUN 12128
EngagementsWar in Donbas
• Battle of Ilovaisk
Russian invasion of Ukraine
Commanders
Current
commander		Colonel Dmitri Zavyalov (as of 2019)

The 21st Guards Motor Rifle Brigade was a formation of the Russian Ground Forces based in Orenburg Oblast. It was formed on 1 June 2009 from the 27th Guards Motor Rifle Division as a result of the 2008 Russian military reform.[1]

In 2014, the brigade was involved in the Russian military intervention in Ukraine.[2] In the spring of 2024, the 27th Guards Motorized Rifle Division was revived and 21st Brigade disbanded.[3]

History

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In August 2014 the brigade's units fought in the Battle of Ilovaisk. On 29 August, during a Ukrainian breakthrough attempt from Ilovaisk, a "northern" column of Ukrainian forces took the fight with 21st brigade's troops on a road between Voznesenka and Horbatenko villages.[4] A Ukrainian T-64 tank and several BMP-2s of 51st Mechanized Brigade were able to destroy two T-72BA tanks[5][6][7] and a BMP-2[8] of the 21st Motor Rifle Brigade. Another 21st brigade's T-72BA tank was destroyed near Kumachove village, presumably by a Tochka-U missile strike of the 19th Missile Brigade.[9]

A Ukrainian Headquarters briefing held on 11 March 2015 noted the 21st Motor Rifle Brigade units are operating near Yenakiieve, Ukraine.[10]

Bodies of soldiers, reportedly from the division, which were killed in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine near Rusaniv [uk] were among six that were to be swapped for two captured Ukrainian soldiers in an exchange in March 2022.[11]

2024

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Becoming 27th Motor Rifle Division as of April 2024, consisting of: [12]

Commanders

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References

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  1. ^ Holm, Michael. "27th Guards Motorised Rifle Division". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  2. ^ Sutyagin, Igor (March 2015). "RUSI Briefing Paper: Russian Forces in Ukraine" (PDF). Royal United Services Institute. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment," (PDF). ISW. 2024-03-11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  4. ^ "Серпень 2014 року. Іловайськ. Частина ІV. Чому і як виходила з оточення "північна" група генерала Руслана Хомчака - Суспільство - Український тиждень, Тиждень.ua" [August 2014. Ilovaisk. Chapter 4. Why and how the "northern" column led by General Ruslan Khomchak tried to break through]. tyzhden.ua. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  5. ^ "Exclusive: Charred tanks in Ukraine point to Russian involvement". Reuters. 2016-10-23. Retrieved 2016-12-04.
  6. ^ "'Orenburg Weather' Destroyed Tanks of the 21st Brigade Near Starobesheve – InformNapalm.org (English)". InformNapalm.org (English). 2015-08-31. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  7. ^ "Russian military near Ilovaisk in 2014. 21st Motor Rifle Brigade (MUN 12128) : Askai on Twitter". Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  8. ^ "Destroyed in August 2014, BMP-2 of the Russian 21st Motor Rifle Brigade. White dots on a turret and in front of a hull near right track : Askai on Twitter". Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  9. ^ "Tochka-U, Russian Military Losses, and Other Coincidences Of August 2014 – InformNapalm.org (English)". InformNapalm.org (English). 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  10. ^ "The ATO Headquarters Briefs Foreign Press on Frontline – InformNapalm.org (English)". InformNapalm.org (English). 2015-03-15. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  11. ^ Ponomarenko, Ilia (2022-03-21). "How Ukraine swaps living soldiers for dead Russians". Kyiv Independent.
  12. ^ "Ukraine Control Map". Google My Maps. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  13. ^ "AWAITING SANCTIONS". Retrieved 24 October 2023.