Skala Battalion

Ukrainian military intelligence unit

Russo-Ukrainian War
- 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive
- Battle of Bakhmut
- 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive

CommandersCurrent
commanderMaj. Yuriy Harkaviy ″Skala″

Military unit

The Skala Battalion (Ukrainian: Батальйон розвідки Скала) is a Ukrainian military intelligence volunteer unit formed by Yuriy Harkaviy, whose nickname Skala ("cliff") gave the unit its name. It has taken part in operations in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine such as assaults on enemy positions and using aerial drones to hunt Russian soldiers, having success in the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive working with the 93rd Mechanized Brigade.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Harkaviy, having initially joined a unit when the invasion started dominated by men with limited military experience, but who attempted to make up for it with bravery, formed the unit by recruiting men of similar spirit and supplying them with steady supplies, starting off by ambushing Russian tank columns. Members of the Skala Battalion wear badges emblazoned with two antitank weapons and a drone. Using their drones the unit looks for targets to report to friendly headquarters, who then relay the information to artillery gunners who themselves can use the drones to correct their fire on enemy positions.

History

The Skala Battalion took part in the defense of Bakhmut, being in the immediate vicinity when a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 was shot down.^[1]^[2]^[3]

During the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, the battalion was deployed on the southern front in the Zaporizhzhia direction, participating in the Ukrainian advance into Robotyne.^[4]^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Satolli, Emanuele (29 December 2022). "The Bravery and the Recklessness of Ukraine's Improvised Army". WSJ. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b Axe, David (6 December 2022). "Ukrainian Scouts Were In Their Foxholes Near Bakhmut When A Russian Bomber Came Crashing Down". Forbes. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ ^a ^b Moore, Jason (2 January 2023). "In Bakhmout, the traces of the terrible Russian relentlessness". UK Daily News. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
^ Smilianets, Vladyslav (26 August 2023). "Ukraine will speed up advance on southern front, commander says". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
^ "За день Зеленський відвідав військових 11 бригад у Донецькій і Запорізькій областях: хто став Героєм України" (in Ukrainian). novynarnia.com. 5 September 2023. Archived from the original on 6 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.

Ukrainian Ground Forces

General Command
OC "West"
OC "South"
OC "North"
OC "East"

Armoured
Mechanized Infantry
Mountain Infantry
Rocket Forces and Field Artillery
Anti-aircraft Missile Defense Artillery
Army Aviation
Military Intelligence
Electronic Warfare
Communications and Cyber Security
Corps of Engineers
CBRN Protection

Corps

9th Army Corps
10th Army Corps
11th Army Corps

Strategic Groups

Pivnich: (Sumy, Chernihiv, Kiyv, Volyn)
Khortytsia: (Kharkiv, Lyman, Soledar, Chasiv Yar)
Tavria: (Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Kryvyi Rih)
Odesa: (Kherson, Dunay, Vinnitsia)
Aleksandriya: (Kakhovka, Primorye)

Brigades

Army Aviation

Infantry¹

Presidential
3rd Assault
5th Assault
10th Mountain Assault
11th Motorized
13th Jaeger
14
15
21
22
23
24
28
30
31
32
33
41
42
43
44
47
53
54
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
65
66
67
68th Jaeger
72
88
92nd Assault
93
100
110
115
116
117
118
128th Mountain Assault
141st Infantry
142nd Infantry
143rd Infantry
144th Infantry
150
151
152
153
154
155 Infantry
156 Infantry
157 Infantry
158 Infantry
159 Infantry

Artillery

26
38
40
43
44
45
47
48
49
55
Reconnaissance
- 15
Missile
- 19
Rocket
- 27
- 107

Tank

Engineering

47th
48th
49th Assault Engineering
704th CBRN Protection

Regiments

Tank	300th Training
Mechanized	354 Training 355 Training
Anti-Aircraft Missile	38 39 1039 1121 1129
Artillery	356 Training
Engineering	Operational Support 12 16 70 91 703 Maintenance 31 50 145 146 532 Pontoon bridge 210 808
Signal	5 7 55 121

Battalions

Motorized Infantry	1st Assault 1 2 3 3rd Mechanized 4 6 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 20 21 22 23 24th Assault 25 25th Assault 33rd Assault 34 40 42 43rd Territorial Defense 46th Assault 48th Assault 49th Assault 97th Mechanized 108th Assault 117th Assault 214th OPFOR 225th Assault 425th Assault
Tank	12
Mountain	8 15 108 109
Reconnaissance	54 74 120 129 130 131 143
Rifle	1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 44 45 46 48 50 51 52 (Airmobile) 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 64 65 66 67 68 70 210th Special Purpose 211th Special Purpose 403 405 407 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 451 Infantry 452 Infantry 453 Infantry 454 Infantry 455 Infantry 456 Infantry 457 Infantry 459 460 468
Engineering	308 309 310 311 321 507 534 Pontoon bridge 11
Electronic Warfare	20 520
Others	78 181 182 183 224 225 226 227 307 718