540th Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade (Ukraine)

In 1992, following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the personnel of the 540th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment swore allegiance to Ukraine.

On 21 April 1999, the honorary name "Lviv" was assigned to the regiment.^[1]

On 23 June 2006, a combat flag was presented to the regiment.^[2]

In 2008, the regiment was assigned the honorary name of "Ivan Vyhovsky" who was the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host during the 17th Century.^[3]

In 2012, the unit provided air defense operations for Euro 2012.

On October 30, 2013, the regiment was the last to operate S-200B but they were stripped off from the regiment as its S-200 division ceased to exist.^[4]

In 2019, the regiment won the annual competition for the title "Best S-300 Anti-Aircraft Missile Division" and won the main prize - 180,000 hryvnias after successfully destroying most targets.^[5]

In March 2021, the regiment's division was deployed in the Volyn Oblast at the Lutsk Air Base to strengthen the air defense in a new sector of responsibility.^[6][7]

Russo-Ukrainian war

See also: Russo-Ukrainian war

The base of the regiment, the Lutsk Air Base was the target of Russian airstrikes by Russian armed forces on 27 February and 11 March 2022.^[8] and the airbase was completely destroyed, according to the town mayor.^[9]

On 5 August 2023, the 540th regiment was awarded the honorary award "For Courage and Bravery".^[10]

In 2024, the Ukrainian Air Force received S-200 longe-range anti-aircraft missiles, and they were inducted into the regiment, equipped with modern electronics.^[11][12]

In 2025 the unit was expanded to a Brigade.^{[citation needed]}

The structure of the brigade is as follows^[13]

• Colonel Golushko Yury Ivanovich (1992–1996)
• Colonel Viktor Oleksiyovych Machok (1996–1999)
• Colonel Viacheslav Evgenovich Shamko (1999–2001)^[14]
• Colonel Oleg Vasylovych Strutsynskyi (2001–2003)^[15]
• Colonel Ivan Stepanovych Zinko (2003–2006)
• Colonel Storozhenko Volodymyr Vasyliovych (2006–2010)^[16]
• Colonel Humeniuk Oleksandr Leonidovych (2011–2017)^[17][18]
• Colonel Vitaly Viktorovych Palaguta (2017–2018)

• 11th Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade
• 223rd Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment
• 1039th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment

• 8-а армія ППО Archived 5 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• 540-й Львівський зенітний ракетний полк імені Івана Виговського відзначив 70-річчя від дня створення
• Військові частини Повітряних Сил за родами військ Archived 19 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine