Skala Regiment
The 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skala" is a unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces formed by Yuriy Harkaviy "Skala", whose nickname "Skala" gave the unit its name. It has taken part in operations in the Russian invasion of Ukraine starting in 2022, such as assaults on enemy positions and using aerial drones to hunt Russian soldiers, having success in the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive working with the 93rd Mechanized Brigade. Skala has been described as a specialized unit that has demonstrated high efficiency on the battlefield in conducting aerial reconnaissance and assault operations, employing drones, tube artillery and rocket artillery, and tanks.
Harkaviy, having initially joined a unit when the invasion started dominated by men with limited military experience, but who attempted to make up for it with bravery, formed the unit by recruiting men of similar spirit and supplying them with steady supplies, starting off by ambushing Russian tank columns. Members of the Skala Battalion initially wore badges emblazoned with two anti-tank weapons and a drone. Using their drones the unit looked for targets to report to friendly headquarters, who'd then relay the information to artillery gunners who themselves can use the drones to correct their fire on enemy positions.
History
The Skala Battalion was formed in 2022 by Yuriy Harkaviy "Skala" initially as a military intelligence volunteer unit, later being reformed into an assault battalion.The Skala Battalion took part in the defense of Bakhmut, being in the immediate vicinity when a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 was shot down.
During the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, the battalion was deployed on the southern front in the Zaporizhzhia direction, participating in the Ukrainian advance into Robotyne.
In January 2025, the battalion was reinforced with tanks and artillery and then converted into a regiment. On 20 May 2025, the regiment formed the first motorcycle assault company in the Ukrainian military, presumably based on similar companies used by the Russian Armed Forces. Two days later, it reportedly carried out a successful raid on the border in the Kursk region using motorcycles.
On 2 December 2025, Deepstate said that the regiment's X account published a fake video generated by AI in Pokrovsk. Later on 9 December, the BBC reported that members of the unit displayed a Ukrainian flag in Pokrovsk, disputing Russian claims of having captured the city.