39th Motorized Infantry Battalion (Ukraine)
The 39th Motorized Infantry Battalion, known as Dnipro-2, was a Ukrainian Ground Forces unit formed in May 2014 as a volunteer territorial defense battalion from the Dnipropetrovsk region after Russia annexed Crimea. It fought in the War in Donbas, including the Battle of Ilovaisk in August 2014.
In July 2014, a minibus loaded with explosives hit a Ukrainian checkpoint near Kamyanka, killing five soldiers. By August, the battalion had moved to a base area between Ilovaisk and Kuteynikiv. The unit took part in heavy fighting around Ilovaisk, and eight soldiers were reported killed near the area.
In November 2014, the battalion was reorganized as the 39th Separate Motorized Infantry Battalion and transferred to the 55th Artillery Brigade. In 2016, the battalion was disbanded, with its personnel forming a security battalion within the 55th Brigade.
The battalion faced equipment problems, especially a shortage of protective bulletproof vests. The process of procuring gear was disrupted after a government tender review, and promised aid from philanthropists did not materialize. By late June 2014, the unit had 39 armored personnel carriers on the front line, but only about ten soldiers had bulletproof vests.
According to the Book of Memory, 28 soldiers from the battalion were killed between 2014 and 2017.
On December 8, 2018, in Dnipro, clergy prayed for the fallen soldiers and their families. Bishop Simeon posthumously awarded them church honors, and flowers were laid on the Alley of Heroes.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:35 (CET).