Formation The 101st Defense Battalion of the
108th Territorial Defense Brigade had a peace time strength of 44 Colonel Yurii Sinkovskyi commanded the battalion. By 27 February two other battalions were being formed. On 11 March 2022 the battalion, which by this point was a large formation, became the 129th Territorial Defense Brigade.
Russo-Ukrainian War 2022 The brigade took part in the liberation of
Arkhanhelske and
Myroliubivka. It was awarded its battle flag on 14 October.
2023 The brigade's 235th battalion was fighting near
Avdiivka in April 2023. He was replaced with Colonel Dmytro Ostapenko. On 7 June the brigade participated in combat around Neskuchne alongside the 7th Battalion Arei of the
Ukrainian Volunteer Army, as part of
counteroffensive efforts. By June 11th they announced that they had successfully stormed and liberated the village. On 27 July, the village of
Staromaiorske was liberated by joint efforts of the
35th Marine Brigade and 7th Battalion Arei. In August, the 239th Defense Battalion was stationed near the border in
Sumy Oblast.
2024 The 129th Brigade's "Shkval" special battalion, which consists of paroled Ukrainian prisoners, claimed to have been among the first Ukrainian units to cross the
Russia-Ukraine border in August 2024 during
the Ukrainian operation in Russia's
Kursk region. It was reported in late September 2024 that elements of the 129th Brigade had repelled a Russian mechanized assault near the village of
Plyokhovo in Russia's
Kursk region, as part of
the Ukrainian operation there. In 2024, the brigade became part of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, and in July 2025 reformed as heavy mechanized brigade. == Structure ==