30th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade
Russian Ground Forces formation
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The 30th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade (Russian: 30-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая бригада) is a unit of the Russian Ground Forces formed in 2016. It is part of the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army. The brigade's headquarters are located in Roshchinsky, Samara Oblast.[1]
| 30th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade | |
|---|---|
| 30-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая бригада | |
Sleeve patch of the brigade | |
| Active | 30 November 2016 – present |
| Country |  Russia |
| Branch |  Russian Ground Forces |
| Type | Motorized infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Roshchinsky, Samara Oblast |
| Engagements | |
| Decorations |  Guards |
History
The brigade was formed on 30 November 2016 as part of the 2nd Guards Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District.[2] The unit replaced the 23rd Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, which was reformed into the 752nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment and became part of the 3rd Motor Rifle Division.[3]
A notable feature of the brigade is the equipping of some combat units with UAZ Patriot vehicles to increase mobility.[2] The formation was equipped exclusively with wheeled vehicles such as the BTR-82A, R-149MA1,[4] Ural-4320, and others.[5] The unit's armament includes D-30A howitzers,[6] ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns, and BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers.[7]
On 22 February 2019, the brigade commander Viktor Elovenko, along with two other soldiers of the brigade, was killed in an ambush in the Deir ez-Zor region during the Russian intervention in Syria.[8]
Russian invasion of Ukraine
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, from April 2022, the 30th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade conducted offensive operations in the Sievierodonetsk area.[9] In May 2023, the brigade conducted offensive actions in the area of Makiivka in northern Luhansk Oblast.[10] On 7 July 2023, the brigade fought defensive battles on the Karmazinivka–Krasnorichenske line (13–17 km southwest of Svatove).[11] In January 2024, the brigade was operating in the Novobakhmutivka area in Donetsk Oblast, north of Avdiivka.[12] On 7 February 2024, soldiers of the 30th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, together with the 114th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, reached Zaliznychnyi Lane during the battle of Avdiivka.[13]
Following the battle of Avdiivka, the 30th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade was commended by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in a congratulatory telegram to Colonel General Andrey Mordvichev on 17 February 2024.[14]
In April 2024, the brigade took advantage of a botched rotation of Ukrainian forces and broke through to the town of Ocheretyne, overwhelming the Ukrainian 115th Mechanized Brigade, which was supposed to replace the exhausted 47th Mechanized Brigade.[15][16]
On 31 July 2024, the brigade was awarded the "Guards" status.[17]