9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Mariupol–Khingan Orders of the Republic and Suvorov Brigade (2023–present)

9th Separate Naval Infantry Regiment (2016–2023)

| native_name = 9-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая Мариупольско-Хинганская орденов Республики и Суворова бригада

| image = Sleeve patch of the 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade.svg

| caption = Sleeve patch of the unit

| dates = 2016–present

| country = {{Flag|Donetsk People's Republic}} (2016–2022)
{{flag|Russia}} (2022–present)

| branch = {{flagicon|Donetsk People's Republic}} {{ill|DPR People's Militia|ru|Народная милиция Донецкой Народной Республики}} {{nowrap|(2016–2022)}}
{{army|RUS}} (2022–present)

| command_structure = 22px 51st Combined Arms Army

| decorations = {{plainlist|

{{GuardsUnitRussia}}
20px Order of the Republic
{{OrderSuvorovRussia}}

}}

| battle_honours = Mariupol–Khingan

| battles = {{tree list}}

| commander1 = Major general {{ill|Timur Kurilkin|ru|Курилкин, Тимур Викторович}}

| identification_symbol = 100px 100px

| identification_symbol_label = Former Sleeve Patches

}}

The 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Mariupol–Khingan Orders of the Republic and Suvorov Brigade ({{Langx|ru|9-я отдельная гвардейская мотострелковая Мариупольско-Хинганская орденов Республики и Суворова бригада}}), formerly known as the 9th Separate Naval Infantry Regiment ({{Langx|ru|9-й отдельный полк морской пехоты}}) is a military unit of the Russian Ground Forces. Until January 1, 2023, it was part of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). It is attached to the 51st Guards Combined Arms Army.{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-28-2023 |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}} It is commanded by the former Somalia battalion commander Timur Kurilkin.{{Cite web |last=Борта |first=Юлия |date=2023-11-19 |title=Командир «пиратов». Комбриг «Байкот» рассказал о лучшей работе в мире |trans-title=Commander of the "pirates". Kombrig "Baykot" told about the best job in the world |url=https://aif.ru/politics/world/komandir_piratov_kombrig_baykot_rasskazal_o_luchshey_rabote_v_mire |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=AiF |language=ru}}

History

= War in Donbas =

File:2016-05-05. Репетиция парада к Дню Победы в Донецке 012.jpg

The 9th Mariupol-Khingan was formed from the remnants of the Semenovsky Battalion, a loose formation of locals and Russian volunteers who took part in the fighting in Sloviansk and at Donetsk Airport. A reformed and strengthened Semenovsky Battalion then took part in the offensive towards Mariupol, and helped to capture the coastal town of Novoazovsk on 28 August 2014. Later it took part in the fighting for the coastal town of Shyrokyne by the Azov Sea.{{Cite book |last=Crowther |first=Edward R. |title=Armed formations of the Donetsk People's Republic, 2014-2022 |last2=Crowther |first2=Edward R. |date=2022 |publisher=Helion & Company Limited |isbn=978-1-915070-66-1 |series=War in Ukraine / Edward Crowther |location=Warwick |page=43}}

In February 2016, the former battalion was reformed into the 9th Separate Naval Infantry Regiment by a special decree of the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko. The name of the unit was based on the Soviet 221st Rifle Division which took part in the liberation of Mariupol during World War II. By 2017, the regiment had over 1,200 soldiers and was equipped with T-72 tanks, BMP-2s, and BTR-80s.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3331244|title=На фронте без перемен|date=June 24, 2017|website=www.kommersant.ru}}

= Russian invasion of Ukraine =

In 2022 the regiment took part in the siege of Mariupol.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/feature/russia-ukraine-war-mariupol/whos-responsible|title=Who's Responsible: Documenting Loss in Mariupol, a Ukrainian City Besieged and Devastated|date=February 8, 2024|website=Human Rights Watch}} In January 2023, the regiment was incorporated into the Russian Armed Forces as part of the 1st Donetsk Army Corps and was reformed into the 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. Following the battle of Avdiivka, the brigade was thanked by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in a congratulatory telegram.{{cite web | url=http://kremlin.ru/events/president/letters/73485 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240218101950/http://kremlin.ru/events/president/letters/73485 | archive-date=2024-02-18 | title=Андрею Мордвичёву, генерал-полковнику | date=17 February 2024 }} The brigade then took part in the 2024 Kharkiv offensive.{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-june-18-2024 |access-date=2024-12-25 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}} It was then transferred to the Donetsk Oblast in order to take part in the Pokrovsk offensive.{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-2-2024 |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-12-2024 |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-23-2024 |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}

The 9th Brigade along with the 132nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade and the 80th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion took an active part in the Battle of Toretsk.{{Cite web |title=Institute for the Study of War |url=https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-january-7-2025 |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Institute for the Study of War |language=en}}

On June 7, 2025, the brigade was awarded the Order of Suvorov.{{Cite news |date=2025-06-07 |title=Три мотострелковых соединения 51-й армии ЮВО получили орден |trans-title=Three motor rifle units of the 51st Army of the SMD received an order |url=https://ria.ru/20250607/armiya-2021561289.html |access-date=2025-06-26 |work=РИА Новости}}

References

Category:Military units and formations established in 2016

Category:Military of the Donetsk People's Republic

Category:Separatist forces of the war in Donbas