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20th Unmanned Systems Regiment (Ukraine)
Military unit From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 20th Unmanned Systems Regiment "K-2" (MUN A4118) is a regiment-level military unit of the Ground Forces of Ukraine. It was initially a reconnaissance group in the 92nd Assault Brigade, and was then transferred to the 54th Motorized Brigade, becoming the K-2 Battalion. In December 2024, the it was expanded to a regiment as part of the Drone line project. K-2 is known for its extensive use of UAVs since the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The regiment uses airborne and ground-based unmanned systems for aerial reconnaissance, strikes, remote mine laying, logistics and evacuation.
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It was established in February 2017 as a small reconnaissance group in the 92nd Assault Brigade, with Kyrylo Veres as its commander with strength of around a dozen servicemen and performed tasks in the frontlines of Marinka and Krasnohorivka, including incursions in the gray zone and behind the frontlines, ambushes and fire raids. It was amongst the first units to start using drones, precisely the DJI Phantom for aerial reconnaissance purposes.[1] In January 2018, the K-2 reconnaissance group became part of the 54th Mechanized Brigade and started participating in combat operations near Troitsky and Popasna, using DJI Mavic drones.[1] On 4 April 2019, the K-2 group attacked separatist positions destroying an infantry fighting vehicle and killing two militants.[2] On 18 May 2020, it released a video showing the destruction of a military "Ural" vehicle transporting ammunition for separatists.[3] In May 2020, the forces of K-2, with artillery support, destroyed one of the most fortified positions of the 114th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade near Donetsk.[4] In 2020, the second mechanized battalion, which included the K-2 group, was deployed to Avdiivka, taking up positions in the industrial zone and the Zenit plant. In the same year, Kyrylo Veres became deputy commander of the battalion.[1] In 2021, the battalion was again deployed to the Marinka-Krasnohorivka, where the K-2 group established systematic work of DJI Mavic and Autel UAVs, as well as starting the testing of bomber UAVs such as the heavy strike multi-rotor bomber "Kazhan", a Baba Yaga drone[1] as well as other large multi-rotor bombers such as the Vampire, for bombing and remote mining in the gray zone, the TM-62 anti-tank mines dropped from drones inflicted severe losses on Russian equipment.[1][5]
In mid-March 2022, during the Battle of Marinka, K-2 now expanded to a battalion stopped the Russian advance, destroying two tanks and two infantry fighting vehicles, to minimize losses, Major Kyrylo Veres retreated his forces to the second line of defense, the abandoned positions were recovered in a counterattack the next day.[6] Major Kyrylo Veres, for his actions, became the commander of K-2 in April 2022.[1] On 5 April 2022, it destroyed a Russian military column in Donetsk Oblast.[7] Since July 2022, K-2 has been partaking in the Battle of Siversk, engaging Wagner Group, with its personnel becoming the backbone of the salient's defense from Lysychansk direction, it uploaded videos on YouTube gathering millions of views including the video of a Russian attempt at recapture the “T-shape” salient using tanks, after expending its ammunition, the tank was destroyed by the group.[8][9] The K-2 Battalion held up a 12 km long strip in Siversk, located east of Verkhnyokamyanske and managed to prevent significant changes in the front line during 2.5 years of defense at the strip.[1] In the summer of 2023, during the Battle of Soledar, the battalion's FPV pilots destroyed dozens of Russian personnel enabling a counterattack by other units with minimal casualties.[1][10] By fall of 2023, its strength had grown to a thousand personnel.[11] In May 2024, the battalion released a video showing its forces repelling Russian assault on Ukrainian positions near Verkhnyokamyanske, with its forces destroying several armored vehicles, tanks and up to two infantry platoons worth of personnel and captured one Russian soldier.[12] From 10 July 2024 to 16 September 2024, 5 servicemen of the K-2 Battalion along with several personnel of other units, halted the Russian offensive on Siversk, remaining surrounded for 67 days, defending the Pincher stronghold near the Spirne. On 16 September, a Russian assault detachment attacked the stronghold with two tanks, two MTLBs and an IFV, landing an entire assault platoon was landed. Several Russian soldiers and six pieces of equipment were destroyed during the assault whereas one soldier from the National Guard of Ukraine was killed.[13][14][15] On 8 December 2024, it was expanded to a regiment[16][17] and within a month, it received a record 7,000 applications for joining the regiment,[18] the number increased to over 11,000 by April 2025.[19] Along with four other units, K-2 joined the Drone Line project.[20] On 5 June 2025, it carried out four successful evacuations of wounded personnel using Unmanned ground vehicles picking up wounded soldiers and transporting them to the evacuation points while being under Russian bomber fire.[21][22][23] On 29 June 2025, its forces captured two Cameroonian mercenaries fighting for Russia near Siversk in coordination with the 118th Territorial Defense Brigade and the 54th Mechanized Brigade.[24] In July 2025, an operator of the regiment killed 40 Russian personnel and wounded 40 more using a single Mavic 3T and 60 F‑1 grenades, in a single day.[25]
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Equipment
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Commanders
- Lieutenant Colonel Kyrylo Kyrylovych Veres (2017-)
References
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