456th Transport Aviation Brigade (Ukraine)

Military unit of the Ukrainian Air Force

456th Transport Aviation Brigade

Active| 1992 – present
Country|  Ukraine
Branch|  Ukrainian Air Force
Type| Transport Aviation
Size| Brigade
Garrison/HQ| Vinnytsia Oblast, Havryshivka Air Base
Patron| Dmytro Mayboroda
Engagements|

* War in Donbas
* Battles on the border

Commanders
Current
commander| Andriy Sidash
Insignia
Former sleeve patch|
Aircraft flown
Helicopter| Mi-8, Mi-9, Mi-8MSB-V
Transport| An-24, An-26

Military unit

The 456th Transport Aviation Brigade named after Dmytro Maiboroda (456 BrTrA, military unit A1231) is an aviation unit of the Ukrainian Air Force. The brigade is composed of An-26 military transport aircraft and Mi-8 helicopters. It is stationed at Havryshivka Air Base, Vinnytsia Region. Structurally, it belongs to the Center Air Command.

The brigade took part in the War in Donbas, in particular, delivering supplies by air to units of the Ukrainian Ground Forces fighting on the Russian-Ukrainian border in July 2014.

The brigade is named after Dmytro Maiboroda, an An-26 aircraft commander who died during the war in eastern Ukraine, and received the honor of Hero of Ukraine.

## History[edit]

In September 1991, the 177th Separate Guards Transport Aviation Squadron of the Soviet Air Force was reorganized as the 456th Separate Guards Aviation Regiment (456 OSAP, military unit 45076). The regiment took an oath of loyalty to the people of Ukraine at the beginning of 1992.

In 1996, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kuzmuk, tested the Il-22 air command post, which was in the combat formation of the regiment.

In October 2003, an aviation transport brigade was created, and in 2007, the unit received its current name.

At the beginning of 2008, as part of the implementation of the "Program for the Development of the Medical Support System of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the Period Until 2011", the formation of a mixed aviation and transport unit of medical aviation was completed as part of the brigade. It includes a search and rescue and medical transport aviation unit (4 An-26 aircraft) and two helicopter medical and transport units (6 Mi-8 helicopters).[1]

On December 6, 2010, the unit received a new battle flag.[2]

### War in Donbas[edit]

Main article: War in Donbas (2014–2022)

On July 14, 2014, an An-26 transport aircraft of the brigade with flight number 19 was shot down in the Luhansk region near the Russian-Ukrainian border at an altitude of 6,500 meters. Two crew members — Lt. Col. Dmytro Maiboroda and Assistant Commander Lt. Col. Dmytro Shkarbun died.[3][4][5]

At the beginning of January 2020, the 35th Mixed Aviation Squadron was formed as part of the brigade, which is operationally subordinate to the command of the Special Operations Forces. 80% of the squadron is composed of servicemen of the 456th Brigade. It is planned to have three types of aviation equipment in service - Mi-2 and Mi-8 helicopters, An-26 aircraft, and later Mi-24 combat helicopters.[6]

## Flight Crew[edit]

On December 3, 2016, at the Havryshivka military airfield, an An-26 aircraft named after the Hero of Ukraine Dmytro Maiboroda (b/n 35 "blue") was ceremoniously handed over to the brigade.[7]

On December 1, 2018, the brigade received a repaired Mi-8MT.[8]

On May 13, 2019, the 410th Civil Aviation Plant handed over a refurbished An-26 military transport aircraft to the brigade.[9]

## Structure[edit]

* Management (including headquarters)
* Transport aviation squadron (An-24/-26)
* Helicopter squadron (Mi-8, Mi-9)
* Airfield maintenance battalion
* Battalion of communications and radio technical support
* Technical and operational part of aviation and automotive equipment:
* Regulation and repair of airplanes and helicopters
* Aviation engine regulation and repair group
* Guard company
* Fire brigade
* Medical center[10]

## Commanders[edit]

* Colonel Oleg Ivanovich Nechiporuk (2010 – 2019)[11][12]
* Colonel Andriy Viktorovych Sidash (since 2019)[11]

## Traditions[edit]

On August 22, 2019, the President of Ukraine awarded the brigade an honorary name: "in the name of Dmytro Maiboroda".[13][14][15]

## Symbols[edit]

At the end of October 2019, the 456th Brigade received a new emblem. The arm badge is made in the colors of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The sign is made in the form of a heraldic shield with a light gray edging. The central element is the image of the silver winged horse Pegasus.[16]

## Equipment[edit]

At the same time, a unique Il-22 air command post (factory number 2964017104, aircraft number 75918) was stored in the brigade)[17] Released in 1984. In total, since 1992, this IL-22 spent only 3 hours in the air. The issue of allocating funds for the restoration of this aircraft was repeatedly raised. However, due to the limited funding of the army and military aviation in particular, the funds were never allocated. In 2014, the company Ukrspecexport sold it to the Odesa private company Intertrans.[18]

As of 2015, the brigade possesses the An-12, An-24, An-26.[citation needed]

## Losses[edit]

* Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Oleksandrovych Maiboroda, July 14, 2014
* Lieutenant Colonel Dmytro Pavlovich Shkarbun, July 14, 2014
* Ensign Maksym Serhiyovych Kernychny, June 29, 2017

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Военно-воздушное бессилие Archived 2016-03-15 at the Wayback Machine на http://www.2000.ua/ Archived 2014-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ "Вінницькі військовослужбовці бригади транспортної авіації отримали новий Бойовий Прапор". Archived from the original on 12 June 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
3. ^ "Двох льотчиків збитого Ан-26 знайшли мертвими". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
4. ^ "За тіла двох вінницьких льотчиків сепаратисти вимагають викуп". 33kanal.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-05. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
5. ^ "В понеділок Вінниця прощатиметься з загиблими вінницькими льотчиками - Чорна хроніка". www.myvin.com.ua. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 2017-03-06.
6. ^ "Сили спецоперацій відтепер мають свою авіаескадрилью". Archived from the original on 12 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
7. ^ "На Вінниччині 456-й бригаді транспортної авіації урочисто передали відремонтований літак Ан-26". Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-23.
8. ^ "Передача Збройним силам України великої партії авіаційної техніки". Uprom.info. Національний промисловий портал. 2018-12-01. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
9. ^ "410-й завод передав Повітряним Силам черговий Ан-26". Archived from the original on 14 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
10. ^ "Військова частина А1231". Archived from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
11. ^ a b "Командування Повітряних Сил ЗСУ у facebook". Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
12. ^ До Дня авіації. Вартові неба Archived 2020-04-06 at the Wayback Machine на www.golos.com.ua/
13. ^ Decree of the President of Ukraine from 22 серпня 2019 year № 618/2019 «Про присвоєння почесних найменувань військовим частинам Збройних Сил України та уточнення деяких найменувань» (in Ukrainian)
14. ^ "Військовим частинам присвоєні почесні найменування". www.ukrmilitary.com. Ukrainian Military Pages. 2019-08-23. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
15. ^ "Глава держави присвоїв почесні найменування бойовим військовим частинам". Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
16. ^ 456-а бригада транспортної авіації отримала нову емблему Archived 2020-11-30 at the Wayback Machine на http://www.ukrmilitary.com/ Archived 2015-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
17. ^ "Ил-18 в Виннице". Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
18. ^ "Крылатый командный пункт Воздушных сил Украины списали как «излишек» Минобороны". Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.

## Links[edit]

* Максим Хорошунов, Від Сохондо до Гавришівки Archived 2018-08-02 at the Wayback Machine (дзеркало Archived 2016-11-05 at the Wayback Machine) // Народна армія, 21 June 2011
* 456-та бригада транспортної авіації Archived 2015-08-08 at the Wayback Machine // Книга пам'яті
* Військові частини Повітряних Сил Archived 2021-11-30 at the Wayback Machine // Ukrainian Military Pages
* "456-та бригада транспортної авіації отримала нову емблему". www.ukrmilitary.com. Ukrainian Military Pages. 2019-10-29. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.