Pentagon rushes to resupply Ukraine’s elite 47th brigade: report

• The Ukrainian 47th Mechanized is equipped with the best American military equipment and fights continuously.
• He has been in continuous combat for several months.
• The Pentagon plans to replenish the central brigade with Bradley fighting vehicles, Forbes said.

Ukraine’s hard-fighting 47th Mechanized Brigade is battle-weary and urgently needs American support, Forbes reports.

Trained by NATO instructors, the all-volunteer unit of the 47th Brigade is one of the most powerful brigades in Ukraine. It is equipped with American-made military equipment, including M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley fighting vehicles and M-109 howitzers.

In January, the 47th’s reputation was burnished when an attack using Bradley fighting vehicles became an international news story. A video showing one of the US-built combat vehicles pounding a T-90M, which Putin called “the best tank in the world”, with chain gun fire from its 25mm cannon, was widely relayed.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry posted the video online, attributing it to the 47th mechanized brigade fighting in Stepove, a village outside Avdiivka in northeastern Ukraine.

This week, the ministry released new footage showing the destruction of Russian tanks and combat vehicles that it said were taken out by the 47th Brigade’s Bradley IFVs and FPV drones.

But with almost continuous fighting since Ukraine’s failed counteroffensive last summer, the Brigade’s 2,000 troops are in dire need of respite, resupply and reinforcements, Forbes said.

The Pentagon is poised to step in to help replenish depleted resources and boost combat effectiveness, Forbes said.

Recently, despite initial plans to withdraw, the brigade was rushed into action when the Russian 30th Motorized Rifle Brigade launched an assault near Ocheretyne, northwest of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine. The rapid redeployment highlights the unit’s combat reputation as an “emergency brigade,” Forbes said.

However, it now appears that the 47th Brigade fought for nothing. Russian troops were able to capture most of Ocheretyne following a rotation error involving the 47th and 115th Mechanized Brigades in April.

The Russian 30th Motorized Rifle Brigade took advantage of the rotation interval as the 47th Brigade withdrew and attacked, capturing much of the territory.

Former company commander of the 47th Brigade, Mykola Melnyk, who lost a leg during the summer offensive, wrote on Facebook: “The drastic Russian advance became possible because some units simply screwed up.”

Months of fighting have taken a heavy toll on the 47th Mechanized Brigade, with increasing losses in lives and equipment, Forbes said. Repeated changes of leadership have further exacerbated the difficulties.

Indeed, the 47th Brigade had also lost its Abrams tanks. They were withdrawn from the front because of Russian drone tactics, two U.S. defense officials told the Associated Press last month.

The New York Times reported that Ukraine had lost five of its 31 Abrams tanks in recent months, citing an unnamed senior U.S. official.

The recent approval of new aid to Ukraine signals a crucial lifeline, with replacement Bradleys ready to bolster the brigade’s capabilities on the battlefield.

The first new shipment of U.S. weapons to Ukraine after Congressional approval included an unspecified number of Bradleys. The 47th Brigade is the only Ukrainian unit to use the vehicle, Forbes said.

Beyond material support and tactical adjustments, the 47th Brigade needs a respite from the incessant cycle of conflict.

“Another month, and there will be a year without rotation.” Melnyk said.