47th Separate Mechanized Brigade
ORBAT last updated: 18/07/2024
The 47th Mechanized Brigade “Magura” is certainly one of the most notorious and widely-discussed units in the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Formed following the 2022 full-scale invasion as the 47th Assault Battalion, it was briefly a Regiment and was further upgraded to Brigade size in late 2022.
The newly created 47th Mechanized Brigade was thus chosen as the main US-equipped Ukrainian unit, with M2 Bradleys and M1 Abrams supporting NATO-trained infantry.
This attribution of some of the best pledged frontline equipment to the Brigade led to it being designated as the leading force in one of the 2023 counteroffensive’s prongs, arguably the most predictable: the Orikhiv-Tokmak axis.
After several sightings of Bradleys in Zaporizhzhia oblast, the “Magura” Brigade launched its first assaults during the night between the 7th and 8th of June, 2023.
As is now widely-known, offensive operations in this area during the summer did not yield the desired results, ultimately culminating with the capture of the village of Robotyne in August. The Brigade also suffered substantial losses, both in manpower and equipment, and had a change of command by September of the same year.
Despite these events, 47th Mechanized Brigade was soon redeployed to Avdiivka, where Russian forces committed to a large, concentrated offensive on October 10th.
On the northern flank of the city, the Brigade distinguished itself as arguably one of the best defensive units the Ukrainian forces had at their disposal at the time: the village of Stepove was a Bradley hunting ground for months (even to the detriment of an infamous T-90M) and, after the fall of the city itself, the 47th’s area of responsibility remained the most solid in a front where adjacent Brigades often struggled.
Frequently receiving attached Battalions under its command, the “Magura” Brigade and its Bradleys remain crucial in the defense of the Pokrovsk sector, with the American IFVs even assisting friendly units when necessary.
More recently, 47th Mechanized Brigade received its original M1A1 Abrams Tank Battalion in the spring (more on this later), upgraded its Strike Drones Company (yes, that’s literally the unit’s name) to a Battalion and recruited a “Shkval” Battalion of convicts that volunteered to fight against Russian forces.
Analysis/Notes
The three Mechanized Battalions are equipped with M2A2 ODS Bradley IFVs, often seen upgraded with BRAT armor modules.
M2A2 ODS Bradley IFV with BRAT armor used by 47th Mechanized Brigade (source) SPG-9 recoilless guns and Mk 19 grenade launchers are frequently seen on the Brigade’s socials, likely employed in Fire Support Platoons or at the Company-level.
As is now nearly standard with most Ground Forces Brigades (when properly manned), each Mechanized Battalion has two mortar Batteries, each using 81/82mm or 120mm mortars. In the 47th’s case the specific models are Ukrainian-made KBA-48M (82mm, reference photo here), US-donated M120 (120mm) and the similarly named Ukrainian M120-15 Molot (120mm).
Each Battalion seems to have its own named UAV unit, with “God’s Work” belonging to 1st Battalion (also with Mavics for observation and Vampires used to drop mines), “Ignis Vindicta” in 2nd Battalion and “Nomad” group in 3rd Battalion.
Logo of 3rd Mechanized Battalion’s “Nomad” UAV unit M577 Command Post vehicles have been spotted with the 47th Brigade, presumably under the Signals Platoons (but used by Battalion headquarters personnel).
25th Separate Assault Battalion has been part of the Brigade since its formation and is a lighter element seemingly mounted on MRAP-type vehicles (mostly the Kozak-2M1 model, as seen in the video below from summer of 2023). This sub-unit is more specifically tailored towards fast-paced offensive tasks, such as trench and treeline assaults.
It is unclear whether this Battalion also has the dual Mortar Battery set up or has a single one.
Its UAV unit seems to be simply called “Air Reconnaissance” (“Aerorozvidka”) and is FPV-focused.
This Battalion was reported as the last unit to leave the Avdiivka Coke Plant.26th Separate Rifle Battalion has been attached to the Brigade for several months, at least since the late winter, and seems to have recently become organic to 47th Mechanized. As other Separate Rifle Battalions, it purely consists of infantry and pickups to move supplies.
Videos posted on the Battalion’s Telegram channel show drones correcting Mk 19 bursts, it is unclear whether these belong to the Battalion itself or to another sub-unit of the Brigade.
A UAV unit mostly employing drops from Mavics is part of 26th Rifle Battalion, with some sources indicating it might be called “Amigo” (the name of one of the Battalion’s first pilots/crews, possibly).Very recently, 47th Brigade created the “Shkval” Battalion, an infantry unit mostly manned by volunteer convicts. As allowed by the latest updates to Ukrainian mobilization law, these are prisoners not convicted of particularly serious crimes and they passed interviews and a selection performed by the Brigade itself.
They received around two months of training and were deployed at some point in early July, with a video of an assault on Russian trenches being first posted on July 14th showing the Battalion supported by two Bradleys from 3rd Mechanized Battalion.47th Mechanized Brigade’s Tank Battalion likely has had one of the most unique evolutions of this war. Initial rumors implied that it would be based on M-55S, though it is unclear whether this was supposed to be a stop-gap measure until M1A1 SAs were ready.
However, at some point before May 2023, it was decided that a different Tank Battalion (crews and vehicles) would be transferred to the “Magura” Brigade: this was most of the 21st Mechanized Brigade’s tank unit, equipped with 21 Leopard 2A6s. The 10 remaining Leopard 2 tanks were a Stridsvagn 122 Company, which would remain with its original Brigade, deployed on the Kreminna-Svatove front.
This sudden reallocation was likely a crucial element for the (relatively) poor coordination demonstrated in the 47th Brigade’s initial assaults, mostly executed by Bradley-Leopard 2A6 Company groups, reinforced with engineering vehicles such as BMR-2s, Finnish-donated Leopard 2R mine-clearers and German/Danish-donated WiSENT 1s.
The Leopard 2A6s also saw combat in Avdiivka until early 2024, with the first M1A1 being sighted in the area on February 4th. The surviving Leopards were re-transferred to 21st Mechanized Brigade, many of them requiring extensive maintenance after 7-8 months of near-constant fighting.
The Battalion currently uses M1A1 SA Abrams tanks, with at least 4 having been destroyed in combat out of 31 received.
An uparmored M1A1 SA Abrams in service with the “Magura” Brigade The Brigade’s Artillery Group also went through several iterations.
While employed in the Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive, 2S5 Giatsint-S (152mm) self-propelled howitzers were seen in the hands of the Brigade, presumably its 1st Artillery Battalion. More recently however, no 2S5s have been seen, while a few towed D-30 (122mm) howitzers have been spotted. The Giatsints were probably transferred to a different unit that lacked self-propelled artillery.
The 2nd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion, meanwhile, maintains its complement of US-donated M109A6 Paladin (155mm) howitzers since the Brigade’s formation. M992 FAASV also supply this unit.
The Rocket Artillery Battalion has BM-21 Grad MLRS.
The Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion has only been seen using Ukrainian Stugna ATGMs, though Javelins have been mentioned.The Brigade’s Reconnaissance Company likely operates the four US-donated M7 BFIST vehicles (though one has recently been captured) as seen in the photo below, from an interview with a former Platoon leader of the Company. “Standard” M2A2 Bradleys are likely also used.
A recent video shows the Company cooperating with the 411th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems.
Photo showing the M7 BFIST’s unique sensor in place of the TOW launcher “Strike Drones Company” is the name of the Brigade’s main FPV unit, but it was recently upgraded to an Unmanned Systems Battalion, leading to predictable misunderstandings with its naming. It also executes observation tasks.
A flag design exists from before the reorganization into Battalion.
A UAV Unit called “Morana Team” seems to have frequently operated in coordination with Strike Drones Company over last winter, though it is unclear whether it is attached or part of 47th Brigade.The Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion is certainly equipped with Swedish-donated RBS 70 missile launchers, one of which was used to successfully shoot down a Russian Ka-52 south of Robotyne in the summer of 2023.
It is unclear whether the systems are shared with Battalion-level Anti-Aircraft Platoons.
Czech-produced, Slovenian-donated M55 Anti-Air guns mounted on Ural trucks are also used by either the Anti-Air Platoons or the Battalion (likely both).47th Mechanized Brigade’s Engineering Support Group received an unknown number of M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles based on the M1 Abrams, two of which were destroyed in combat west of Avdiivka. Previously mentioned Leopard 2Rs were likely also organized under this sub-unit before, presumably, being moved to 21st Mechanized Brigade with the remaining Leopard 2A6s.
The Repair & Restoration Battalion is equipped with US-donated M88A1 Hercules and German-donated Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicles.
A flag design is available.
Notable events, footage & losses
A drone pilot from a Recon Platoon describes scout training in Germany (early 2023)
One of the very first images of the Orikhiv-axis counteroffensive, with 4 Bradleys, a Leopard 2A6 and a BMR-2 all disabled (June 8th-9th, 2023)
The first footage shot from a Bradley, at the start of the counteroffensive (June 2023)
Three Leopard 2Rs, a WiSENT-1 and a Maxxpro disabled north of Robotyne on the first days of the 2023 counteroffensive (June 2023)
Footage from the position “Real” north of Robotyne where a poor assault on June 17th, 2023 caused substantial casualties (based on loss matching, this was a position near 47.478974, 35.898845).
A movie by Oleh Sentsov, shot on his GoPro during this operation, has recently been released (appropriately titled “Real”)Optics footage from a Bradley operating around Robotyne and launching a TOW missile (June 2023)
A russian Ka-52 is shot down by an RBS 70 (August 17th, 2023)
Earliest footage of Bradleys north of Avdiivka (around October 18th, 2023)
A Bradley finishes off an abandoned Leopard 2A6 to avoid it being captured (late October 2023)
A Bradley section ambushes and disables a T-90M in Stepove (January 2024)
A Russian Lancet drone is engaged by M55s and RBS 70 (January 2024)
47th infantry assaults a trench after dismounting from a Bradley (January 2024)
The first M1A1 Abrams is seen in footage near Avdiivka (early February 2024)
An Abrams shells the Avdiivka coke plant from east of Berdychi, and is later disabled by ATGM (February 2024)
An M1A1 Abrams is observed by a Russian ZALA drone (late February 2024)
A disabled or destroyed M1150 ABV (late February 2024)
25th Assault Battalion drones drop munitions on Russians near an abandoned Abrams (March 2024)
Unique footage of personnel from 1st Company, 25th Assault Battalion successfully defending a trench (March 2024)
A Bradley from 2nd Mechanized Battalion hits and destroys a Russian tank with a TOW missile (May 2024)
A Bradley crew is evacuated via another Bradley after their IFV is disabled (May 2024)
A T-90M is disabled in Solovyove by FPVs of 2nd Battalion’s “Ignis Vindicta” UAV Group (May 2024)
A Bradley from 2nd Battalion engages two BTR-82s, stopping the assault (June 2024)
A Bradley from 3rd Battalion manages to shoot down an FPV drone with its 25mm autocannon (June 2024)
Additional Sources
47th Mechanized Brigade Website, Facebook, Telegram, Militaryland, UA Wikipedia, Instagram
Mechanized Battalions: Bradley #1, Bradley #2, Bradley close action from drone, Bradley POV, Bradley thermals, M120 #1, M120 #2,
1MB (2nd Mortar Battery), 1MB Air Recon, 2MB (4th Company), 2MB (6th Company), 2MB #1, 3MB (9th Company), 3MB (5th Mortar Battery #1, #2), Snipers #1, Snipers #2
25th Separate Assault Battalion: Public FB Group, 1st Company FB, 1st Company, 3rd Company (pre-deployment, 2023), General #1, Air Reconnaissance Section
26th Separate Rifle Battalion: Under 68th Jager Brigade in early 2023, 1st Company (2022)
”Shkval” Battalion
Tank Battalion: First Abrams seen in action, Abrams, General (NVG fundraiser), Engineer-Sapper Platoon, M978 HEMTT Tanker in the Material Support Platoon
Old Leopard 2A6
1st Artillery Battalion
2nd Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion: M109A6 strike, M109A6 #1, M109A6 #2, M109A6 #3
Rocket Artillery Battalion: BM-21
Anti-Tank Artillery Battalion
Artillery Reconnaissance Battery
Morana Team: Source #1, Source #2
Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion: RBS 70 #1, RBS 70 #2
Engineering Support Group: Old Leopard 2R #1, Old Leopard 2R #2
Medical Company: Old Source #1, Old Source #2