The brigade was formed on 31 December 2014, and its battle flag presented on 17 January 2015 by the commander of the Northern Fleet, Admiral Vladimir Korolev.

[3][5][6] Recruits of the new brigade undergo severe psychological, physical, and arctic training and testing.

[7] In July 2023, the Russian Ministry of Defense awarded service members of the brigade for destroying Ukrainian military equipment in Kherson Oblast.

[9] In September 2024, Newsweek reported that the 80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade suffered 80 percent casualties around the Dnieper–Bug estuary the previous April.

[3][5][11][12][13][14] Two sources in 2017 and 2020 give some of the following units as part of an Arctic motor rifle brigade:[6][12][13][15][16] The brigade's transport equipment consists mainly of MT-LBVMK AFVs, articulated tracked vehicles like DT-10, DT-30 and TTM-4902,[17] snowmobiles A-1 and TTM-1901 "Berkut" with a heated cabin[18] and all-wheel drive Ural and KAMAZ trucks, adapted to extremely low temperatures.