103rd Territorial Defense Brigade (Ukraine)

Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces unit

103rd Territorial Defense Brigade

Ukrainian: 103-тя окрема бригада територіальної оборони
Active| 27 June 2018 - present
Country|  Ukraine
Branch|  Armed Forces of Ukraine
Type| Military reserve force
Role| Light infantry
Part of|  Territorial Defense Forces
Garrison/HQ|  Lviv Oblast
MUN А7031
Patron| Andrey Sheptytsky
Engagements|

* Russo-Ukrainian War
* 2024 Kursk offensive

Website| Official website
Commanders
Commander Col. Ihor Bondarenko[1]| Governor Maksym Kozytskyy
Insignia
Flag|

Military unit

The 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade named after Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky (Ukrainian: 103-тя окрема бригада територіальної оборони імені митрополита Андрея Шептицького) is a military formation of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine. It is part of Operational Command West. The brigade participated in the September 2022 Ukrainian offensive and the 2024 Ukrainian invasion of Kursk.

## History

[edit]

On 27 June 2018 the brigade was formed in Lviv Oblast.[2]

On 16 October 2018, as part of a working trip to Lviv Oblast, the then President, Petro Poroshenko, took part in several events dedicated to the Day of Territorial Defense Soldiers, which took place at the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security. Poroshenko inspected the bases used for training territorial defence battalions, in particular the personnel of the 64th Territorial Defense Battalion of the 103rd Independent Territorial Defense Brigade of the Lviv Oblast.[3]

From 17 to 20 July 2019, about two hundred reserve officers of the brigade underwent combat training at the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security.[4]

### Operations in Donetsk Oblast

[edit]

Units of the 103rd Brigade began performing combat operations in the Donetsk Oblast in March 2022.[5]

Between 6-10 May 2022, the brigade's 63rd and 64th Battalions repelled Russian attempts to cross the Siverskyi Donets river near the village of Serebrianka in the Donetsk Oblast.[6]

On 3 September 2022, the brigade's 63rd Battalion participated in the capture of the village of Ozerne in Donetsk Oblast.[7][8][9][10] The brigade has also been credited with capturing the village of Dibrova [uk] in the Donetsk Oblast during September 2022.[5]

On 30 September, Ukrainian president Zelensky commended the 103rd Brigade, announcing that it was responsible for the liberation of Yampil in Donetsk Oblast, along with the 214th Battalion of the Special Operations Forces.[11] In early October, the brigade took up defensive positions near Kupiansk.[5]

On 2 October, the brigade received its battle flag.[12]

As of March 2023, units of the brigade were still operating in the Serebriansky forest near the village of Yampil, namely the brigade's 63rd, 65th, and 66th Battalions.[6]

In May 2023, the brigade's 53rd Battalion was involved in combat near Bakhmut, namely near the villages of Berkhivka and Bohdanivka.[6]

As of May 2024, the brigade's 62nd Battalion had been deployed to the Zaporizhzhia Oblast.[13]

### 2024 Ukrainian invasion of Kursk

[edit]

In 2024, units of the brigade were relocated to the Sumy Oblast in order to defend the Ukrainian border, and later began participating in the Ukrainian operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast from the beginning of August.[5]

On 23 August 2024, the brigade was awarded the honorary title "named after Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky" by decree of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[14]

In September and October 2024, it was reported that the 103rd Brigade was participating in Ukrainian operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast.[15][16] Units of the brigade took part in a mid-September battle in the village of Obukhovka [ru].[16]

On December 11, 2024, a fighter of the brigade's anti-aircraft battery, who served for more than two years in the combat zone, but then left the unit without permission, accused the head of the brigade's air defense, Colonel Valentyn Kozakevych, of sabotaging the preparation of equipment, misappropriating the property of military personnel, and undermining the combat capability of the air defense unit. He also accused him of incompetence, citing examples of Kozakevych's demands: during the period of redeployment from one frontline region to another, he demanded to move in columns in places where there was an immediate threat of damage by rocket and artillery fire, demanded the accumulation of personnel in areas where the Russians hit with KABs, Shaheds and missiles.[17]

## Structure

[edit]

### Headquarters

[edit]

### Battalions

[edit]

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|

Badge  | Name  | Headquarters

|
|

| 62nd Territorial Defense Battalion  | Lviv[5]
| 63rd Territorial Defense Battalion  | Sheptytskyi[5][8]
| 64th Territorial Defense Battalion  | Trostianets [uk] (Zolochiv Raion)[5]
| 65th Territorial Defense Battalion  | Stryi[5]
| 66th Territorial Defense Battalion  | Mostyska (Yavoriv Raion)[5]
| 67th Territorial Defense Battalion  | Drohobych[5]
| 202nd Territorial Defense Battalion  | Strilkovychi (Sambir Raion)[5]

### Companies

[edit]

* Attack Drone Company "Common Swift"[5]
* Reconnaissance Company[5]
* Counter-Sabotage Company[citation needed]
* Engineering Company[citation needed]
* Communication Company[citation needed]
* Logistics Company[citation needed]
* Mortar Battery[citation needed]

## Commanders

[edit]

* Lieutenant Colonel Mykola Andrushchak (2018)[18]
* Colonel Valerii Kurko (2022)[19] [20]

## See also

[edit]

* Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Днями, командир бригади полковник Ігор Бондаренко, відзначив державними та відомчими нагородами військовослужбовців 103-ї бригади територіальної оборони". 19 May 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-13 – via www.facebook.com.
2. ^ "Львівська 103-тя окрема бригада територіальної оборони ЗСУ відзначає 5 річницю з дня заснування" [The Lviv 103rd Separate Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine celebrates its 5th anniversary since its foundation]. loda.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 27 June 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
3. ^ "Львівська обласна рада". lvivoblrada.gov.ua. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
4. ^ "На Львівщині вишколюють резервістів територіальної оборони | Новини". dailylviv.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-03-01.
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "103-тя окрема бригада територіальної оборони імені митрополита Андрея Шептицького (103 ОБрТрО)". Сили територіальної оборони ЗСУ (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 June 2025.
6. ^ a b c Руденко, Марія; Титаренко, Віта; Волков, Ігор. "Воєнно-історичний календар сил територіальної оборони збройних сил України на 2024 рік (січень-червень)" (PDF). Сили територіальної оборони ЗСУ (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 June 2025.
7. ^ Руденко, Марія; Титаренко, Віта; Волков, Ігор. "Воєнно-історичний календар сил територіальної оборони збройних сил України на 2024 рік (липень-грудень)" (PDF). Сили територіальної оборони ЗСУ (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 27 June 2025.
8. ^ a b Гузій, Олександра. "Військовослужбовці 63 батальйону тероборони доставили допомогу мешканцям звільненого Озерного на Донеччині". Chervonograd FM (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 June 2025.
9. ^ "Українські захисники звільнили село Озерне на Лиманщині". Східний Варіант (in Ukrainian). 4 September 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
10. ^ Stepanenko, Kateryna; Mappes, Grace; Philipson, Layne; Kagan, Frederick W. (4 September 2022). "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 4". Institute for the Study of War.
11. ^ "Armed Forces of Ukraine liberated Yampil village in Donetsk region". Militarnyi. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
12. ^ Kovalchuk, Oksana (3 October 2022). "115 окрема Житомирська бригада Сил територіальної оборони ЗСУ отримала Бойовий прапор" [The 115th separate Zhytomyr Brigade of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces received the Battle Flag]. Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 August 2023.
13. ^ Демчина, Марія (5 May 2024). "Мер Львова відвідав захисників на Запорізькому напрямку та передав техніку від громади міста". Lviv City Council (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 June 2025.
14. ^ УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №529/2024
15. ^ Капустянська, Іванна (21 September 2024). "Операція на Курщині: бійці 103-ї бригади ТРО розповіли про недбале виконання службових обов'язків командуванням". Lvnews.org.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 26 January 2025.
16. ^ a b "На Курщині до боїв за село Обухівка залучили дві бригади Тероборони". Militarnyi (in Ukrainian). 5 October 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
17. ^ "Як "паркетний" командир за два місяці знищив боєздатний підрозділ. Розповідь бійця в СЗЧ". texty.org.ua (in Ukrainian). 2024. Retrieved 2025-06-09.
18. ^ IgnBor (2019-07-20). "На Львівщині завершилися збори з офіцерами штабів підрозділів бригади Територіальної оборони (ФОТО)". Leopolis.news. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
19. ^ "Територіальну оборону Львівської області очолив підполковник Валерій Курко". loda.gov.ua. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
20. ^ "Командиру тероборони Львівщини присвоїли звання полковника". portal.lviv.ua. Retrieved 2022-04-13.

* v
* t
* e

Brigades of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces

Regional
Command|

| West|

| 101 – 107|

* 101 Zakarpattia
* 102 Ivano-Frankivsk
* 103 Lviv
* 104 Rivne
* 105 Ternopil
* 106 Khmelnytskyi
* 107 Chernivtsi

|

* 125 Lviv City

North|

| Kyiv City|

* 112
* 241

|

114 – 119|

* 114 Kyiv Oblast
* 115 Zhytomyr
* 116 Poltava
* 117 Sumy
* 118 Cherkasy
* 119 Chernihiv

|

* 1st Special Purpose

South|

| 120 – 123|

* 120 Vinnytsia
* 121 Kirovohrad
* 122 Odesa
* 123 Mykolaiv

|

* 126 Odesa City

East|

| 108 – 111; 113|

* 108 Dnipro
* 109 Donetsk
* 110 Zaporizhia
* 111 Luhansk
* 113 Kharkiv

|

127 – 129|

* 127 Kharkiv City
* 128 Dnipro City
* 129 Kryvyi Rih

|

Transferred|

| Ground Forces|

* 100 Volyn

|

Marine Corps|

* 124 Kherson
* 126 Odesa City

2014 Battalions
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