The 8th Mountain Motor Rifle Brigade was a formation of the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...

. In 2014–2015 brigade's units participated in the

War in Donbas War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

History

Previously the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (not a mountain formation) was active in

Transdnestr Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...

after the deactivation of the 59th Guards Motor Rifle Division. It was formed on 1 June 1997 from that division, and disbanded on 1 November 2002. The current formation traces its history from a premiere tank regiment of the storied

2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division The 2nd Guards M. I. Kalinin Taman Motor Rifle Division (russian: 2-я гвардейская мотострелковая Таманская ордена Октябрьской Революции Краснознаменная ордена Су ...

. In 2009 the

1st Guards Tank Regiment The 1st Guards Tank Chertkov Twice Order of Lenin Red Banner Orders of Suvorov, Kutuzov, and Bogdan Khmelnitsky Regiment named for Marshal of Armed Forces M. E. Katukov (1 ''gv. tp'') (; Military Unit Number 58198) is a highly decorated tank regim ...

, descended from the 1st Guards Tank Brigade ( :ru:1-я гвардейская танковая бригада) formed in World War II, became the 8th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. In August 2014 the brigade's units fought in the

Battle of Ilovaisk The Battle of Ilovaisk; uk, Іловайський котел, '). The word "kettle" refers to encirclement by enemy forces, which is termed "falling into the kettle". The word is also used to refer to battles during the Second World War, such ...

. On 26 August a column of mixed 8th Mountain Brigade and 31st Air Assault Brigade units was ambushed by a Ukrainian anti-tank artillery squad of the 51st Mechanized Brigade near Mnohopillya village. Three Russian armored vehicles were destroyed (2 MTLB-VMK's and a MTLB-6M). A wounded soldier of 8th Mountain Brigade was captured: Aleksandr Desyatov. A wounded soldier of the 8th brigade was reported being sent to Kiev for medical treatment after his armor vehicle was destroyed in a fight. According to Sutyagin, 8th brigade's units fought in winter battles 2015 in Donbas. In 2016, the 2009 reform was partially reversed and the brigade became again the 1st Guards Tank Regiment.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Mechanised infantry brigades of Russia Military units and formations established in 1997 Military units and formations of Russia in the war in Donbas