In 1992, following the Dissolution of the Soviet union, the 5th Regiment of the National Guard of Ukraine was established on the basis of the 24th Separate Special Motorized Militia Battalion.[1] Then, it was transferred to the Internal Troops of Ukraine.[2] After the reestablishment of the National Guard of Ukraine, it was transferred there becoming the 16th Public Order Protection Regiment.[3]
During the War in Donbass, the regiment saw combat on multiple occasions. On 29 May 2014, servicemen of the Dnipropetrovsk Regiment were returning to their temporary deployment point in the city of Izium after providing logistical aid and combat support to the Ukrainian troops during the Siege of Sloviansk. While they were approaching Kamianka (Izium Raion), separatists using VAZ-2110s ambushed the convoy and attacked the KAMAZ of the regiment with machine guns and underbarrel grenade launchers. A soldier of the regiment, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Isadchenko (born 1994),[4] was killed and two more were wounded.[5][6]
On 14 October 2020, the 16th regiment was awarded the honorary title of "Major General Oleksandr Radievskyi" after the Major General Oleksandr Vitaliyovych Radievskyi of the 21st Public Order Protection Brigade.[7]
In 2022, amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the regiment was expanded becoming the 31st Public Order Protection Brigade. The brigade took part in the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive and then from February 2023, the brigade saw action in Donetsk Oblast. The Russian T-80s regularly approached its positions coming at a distance of about 100 meters and shelled the brigade's position but they repelled the tanks and even destroyed a T-80. On 10 April 2023, Russians charged at the brigade's positions defending Kreminna but were forced to retreat by Zhukov Vadim Andriyovych who launched a successful grenade attack, the next morning the positions were hit by artillery strike killing Zhukov Vadim Andriyovych[8] who was awarded the Hero of Ukraine.[9] The brigade also raised the Ukrainian flag over the village of Zavitne Bazhana after liberating it.[10] In December 2023, the brigade performed a raiding operation on multiple Russian positions in which many personnel planted explosives in Russian positions covertly and detonated them successfully.[11]
Ukraine.png){kind=small}
Ministry of Internal Affairs
National Guard of Ukraine