203rd Training Aviation Brigade (Ukraine)

203rd Training Aviation Brigade (2004-present) 203rd Aviation Training Base (1996—2004) 810th Training Aviation Regiment (1992—1995)
Brigade
Active	1992 – present
Country	Ukraine
Allegiance	Ukraine
Branch	Ukrainian Air Force
Type	Brigade
Role	Trainer
Part of	KNUAF
Garrison/HQ	Chuhuiv Airbase
Engagements	Operation Northern Falcon Russo-Ukrainian War
Commanders
Current commander	Lieutenant Colonel Evgeny Shukrat
Insignia
Former Insignia
Roundel
Fin flash
Aviation branch insignia collar
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Su-27
Helicopter	Mi-8, Mi-2
Trainer	L-39
Transport	An-26

203rd Training Aviation Brigade is brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force, tasked with training of the Air Force pilots. It operates various variants of the Su-27 and Aero L-39 Albatros, An-26s, Mi-2s and Mi-8s aircraft. The brigade traces its origin to the 810th Training Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Air Force which swore allegiance to Ukraine. Since 2004, the brigade is subordinated to the Ivan Kozhedub National University of the Air Force.

History

In 1992, following the, Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the 810th Training Aviation Regiment swore allegiance to Ukraine becoming a part of the Ukrainian Air Force. ^[1] In December 1995, it became the 203rd Training Aviation Base including the training regiment, a communication battalion, radio technical support and an airfield technical support battalion. In August 2004 it became the 203rd Training Aviation Brigade and was subordinated to the Ivan Kozhedub National University of the Air Force in September 2004.

The brigade took part in Operation Northern Falcon to aid Denmark for cargo transport in Greenland. ^[2]

In the autumn of 2013, the brigade received L-39S "Albatross" TKS-L39 for the training of pilots, in addition to the An-26, An-26Sh and Mi-8s.

In 2014, the brigade had 11 L-39M/M1/S aircraft, 2 An-26Sh, 2 Mi-8T and 1 An-26. The length of the runway used by the brigade was 2.5 km. In 2014, the brigade took part in combat operations during the War in Donbass for which two personnel of the brigade, Shkurat Yevhen Oleksandrovych and Gennady Valentinovych Dubovik were awarded the Order for Courage (III). ^[3]

In the summer of 2016, the brigade received a repaired An-26. ^[4]

On 1 December 2018, the brigade received two refurbished L-39S training aircraft. ^[5]

On 20 March 2019, the brigade received an An-26Sh and two Mi-2MSB multipurpose helicopters. ^{[6] [7]} On 28 March 2019, one of the Mi-2MSBs of the brigade crashed on a routine training mission but the crash caused no casualties, the helicopter was lightly damaged but could be repaired. ^[8]

On September 25, 2020, an An-26Sh aircraft crashed in what became known as the 2020 Chuhuiv An-26 crash, 26 people (7 crew members of the brigade and 19 cadets of the Ivan Kozhedub National University of the Air Force) died, only one cadet survived. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]} The personnel of the brigade killed in the crash were Major Pocket Bohdan Vyacheslavovych, Captain Oleksiy Georgiyovych Ostapenko, Captain Dmytro Denisovych Dobrelya, Senior Lieutenant Msuya Ashraf Azizovich, Senior Lieutenant Oleg Mykhailovych Kozachenko, Flight technician Oleg Mykolayovych Shirochuk and Flight mechanic Yevgeny Ivanov Ivanov. ^[15] On 22 December 2020, the brigade commander Vyacheslav Glazunov and the flight manager Oleksandr Zhuk were arrested on suspicion of violation of flight training and rules, and negligence that led to the crash. ^{[16] [17]}

On 6 December 2021, an Aero L-39 Albatros aircraft was transferred to the brigade. ^[18]

On 1 September 2024, an Mi-2 of the brigade crashed killing two people. ^[19]

Commanders

• Colonel Serhiy Babenko (July–December 2012)
• Colonel Gennadiy Dubovyk (December 2012-September 2014)
• Colonel Vyacheslav Glazunov (September 2014-December 2020)
• Colonel Vyacheslav Glazunov (December 2020-December 2021)
• Colonel Andriy Tvarkovskyi (December 2021-)

Sources

• 203-я авіаційна навчальна бригада Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
• Присвячено дню авіації Archived 17 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine
• Dmytro Gorbunov, Диво-техніка для віртуальних польотів
• Вікімапія Archived 26 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
• 203-я навчальна авіаційна бригада отримала Бойовий прапор Archived 29 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
• Військові частини Повітряних Сил за родами військ Archived 30 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine

References

1. 203-я навчальна авіаційна бригада отримала Бойовий прапор Archived 29 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
2. Andrii Bangyuk. "Як козаки в Гренландію літали". Ukraine Moloda. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
3. У Харкові нагороджено льотчиків за участь в АТО Archived 27 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine
4. "Підсумки 2016 року від MilitaryAviation.in.UA". MilitaryAviation.in.UA (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
5. "ЗСУ отримали літаки, гелікоптери та безпілотники". Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
6. "Вручення авіаційної техніки Президентом України – Верховним Головнокомандувачем Збройних Сил України". Харківський національний університет Повітряних Сил імені Івана Кожедуба. 2019-03-22. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
7. "Оновлення авіації ЗСУ". MilitaryAviation.in.UA (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
8. "УТОЧНЕНА ІНФОРМАЦІЯ щодо авіаційної події вертольота Мі-2 МСБ у м. Чугуїв (Харківської області)". Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
9. На Харківщині розбився військовий літак, є загиблі Archived 27 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine
10. На місці катастрофи АН-26 знайшли тіла всіх загиблих Archived 28 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine
11. Катастрофа АН-26: Зеленський відвідав у лікарні єдиного курсанта, що вижив Archived 28 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine
12. Катастрофа АН-26: опублікували імена загиблих Archived 28 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine
13. Вічного польоту… Archived 28 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine
14. "Ukraine military plane crash: Cadets among 26 people killed". BBC News. 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
15. "Опубліковані імена загиблих у катастрофі Ан-26 на Харківщині" [The names of those killed in the An-26 crash in Kharkiv region have been published]. NV (in Ukrainian). 26 September 2020. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
16. Катастрофа Ан-26: суд арештував командира військової частини з Чугуєва. 22.12.2020, 16:00 Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine
17. Катастрофа Ан-26: суд арештував керівника польотів. 22.12.2020, 22:32 Archived 22 December 2020 at the Wayback Machine
18. "ЗСУ отримали військову техніку". Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
19. "Ukrainian Air Force Mi-2 of the 203rd Training Aviation Brigade crashed". 1 September 2024.