# 14th Radio Technical Brigade (Ukraine)

The 14th Radio Technical Brigade "Bohdan Khmelnytskyi" is a Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force concerned with radar operations in South Ukraine and is subordinated to the Air Command South. It is headquartered in Odesa and operates many radar systems including the "Pelican".

## History

In 1992, following the Dissolution of the Soviet union, the personnel of the 14th Radio Engineering Brigade of the Soviet Army took an oath of loyalty to Ukraine. In March 1992, the first Ukrainian commander of the brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Klimov Serhiy Borisovych, was appointed and the brigade was staffed with local Ukrainians as well as with the members of the Ukrainian diaspora. The units of the brigade that were stationed on the territory of Moldova were transferred to the Armed Forces of Moldova with the exception of one unit under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kudar V.I. Many of its units were deployed along the border with Moldova for radar coverage and a separate radar unit of the brigade was deployed to Snake Island. It received automated radar systems and separate mobile radar platoons were established within companies and battalions of the brigade. In 2007, a separate research area for air defense "Oreanda PS" was created in the regiment. On 22 July 2008, the brigade received the honorary name of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi.
Since 2014, personnel and units of the brigade participated in the War in Donbas. Separate mobile radar platoons of the brigade were quickly redeployed and were used to create radar coverage for ATO zone. In 2016, the brigade received the newest Ukrainian-made Pelican radar systems.
On 17 August 2016, a soldier of the brigade (Oleksandr Oleksandrovich Grebenkin) was killed whilst serving on a combat mission near Andriivka. On 5 December 2016, the brigade was presented with a combat flag.
On 24 February 2022, at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the brigade's positions were struck by Russian warplanes killing eleven female soldiers of the brigade (Shoris Olga Pavlivna, Kosar Liliya Ihorivna, Tatyana Valentynivna Skurat, Nataliya Andriivna Protsyshina, Barbul Victoria Viktorivna, Larisa Mykolaivna Hutsol, Lyudmila Ruslanivna Kutishevska, Nataliya Mykolayivn Shaporova, Berina Olena Vitalyivna, Straton Alla Viktorivna and Olena Mykolayivna Dobrovolska) of the brigade and eleven male personnel (Oleksiy Adolfovich Shuda, Pavlo Vasyliovych Bondarenko, Sabatyn Serhiy Serhiyov, Dmytro Sergeyevich Zaitsev, Dmytro Volodymyrovych Holodnyuk, Bondar Andrii Andriyovych, Serhiy Serhiyovych Len, Oleksandr Serhiyovych Medvedenko, Hutsol Oleg Viktorovych, Dumbrava Andrii Ivanovych and Yasko Oleksandr Oleksiiovych) of the brigade. On 15 June 2022, the brigade was awarded the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery".

## Commanders

* Lieutenant Colonel Serhii Borisovych Klimov (1992–1994)
* Colonel Afanasov Viktor Volodymyrovych.
* Colonel Yaroslavtsev Valery Mykolayovych.
* Lieutenant Colonel Kostyantyn Mykolayovych Horlo
* Colonel Hrytsaenko Serhii Anatoliyovych (2018-)

## Separate Battalions

The brigade has two separate Battalions in its structure:
* Radio-technical Battalion, Kherson
* Radio-technical Battalion, Podilsk

## Sources

* Michael Holm. "14th Radio-Technical Brigade".