Ukraine's Newest Heavy Brigade Rides in Captured Russian Tanks

The Ukrainians are putting 200 ex-Russian T-72B3s to good use

A Ukrainian T-72B3. Via Militaryland

The Ukrainian ground forces—the army, marines, air assault forces, assault forces, national guard and territorials—are reorganizing their roughly 130 combat brigades into 18 new corps, each with seven or eight brigades and tens of thousands of troops under a single command.

It’s a welcome development for a military that, up until now, has struggled to coordinate its brigades.

As a bonus, each corps is getting a new kind of brigade—a heavy mechanized brigade stuffed with infantry fighting vehicles and tanks: 62 of each, on paper.

But there’s a shortage of good tanks in the Ukrainian inventory. A shortage that, ironically, Russia is helping to solve. The newest heavy mechanized brigade, a former territorial unit, is about to ride into battle in captured Russian T-72B3 tanks.

Thanks, Russia!