Armed Forces of Ukraine

The formation of the national armed forces in the modern sense dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century and coincides with the formation of the modern Ukrainian nation. In official history, this period is referred to as the "Ukrainian War of Independence" or the "First Liberation Struggle." This process coincided with the end of the First World War and the subsequent collapse of the great European empires that had been formed during the previous centuries. The forerunner of this process was the formation of national military formations in the Imperial and Royal Armies of Austria-Hungary, namely the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, based on the formation of which were Ukrainian paramilitary organizations in Galicia: Sich Sports and Fire Brigade, «Sokil» and the national scout organization «Plast».

After the upheavals of the World War I and on the verge of the collapse of empires, the Ukrainians made another attempt to restore statehood. As part of the growing disintegration in the ranks of the Russian Imperial Army, the process of forming national units began. After the Bolshevik coup, this process immediately resulted in a hybrid war with the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the White Guard. Already during the undeclared war, the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic was formed, but its formation was interrupted by the German administration. It continued in a limited form after the establishment of Hetman of Ukraine Pavlo Skoropadskyi's Ukrainian State, known as the [Second] Hetmanate. During the time of the Hetmanate, the development of the national armed forces was continued. The Armed Forces of the Ukrainian state were developed with a more systematic approach than in previous attempts, although previous developments were used in this process, but many mistakes were also made. This eventually resulted in uprisings against the Hetmanate rule, and the reorientation of the Central Powers, which lost World War I against the Entente, which in turn supported the White Guard movement and the Russian Empire as its original ally.

Simultaneously with these events, after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, numerous military formations were formed on Ukrainian lands, including detachments of the Free Cossacks, Father Makhno's Ukrainian Insurgent Army, and the Bolshevik Red Cossacks. The latter became the basis of the puppet armed forces of the UkrSSR, and after the occupation of the Ukrainian People's Republic were included in the Red Army. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the Ukrainian Galician Army came to the defense of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, based on the formation of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen of the former Austro-Hungarian Army.

During World War II, Ukrainians tried to regain independence and organized armed units and formations, including the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, but all of them were destroyed by Soviet authorities within a few years after the war, and Ukrainians were again forced to serve in the Soviet Army.

Origins of the post-1992 Ukrainian Armed Forces

By 1992, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had been completely inherited from the Soviet Union, in which Ukraine had been a member state (a union republic). Like other Soviet republics, it did not possess its own separate military command, as all military formations were uniformly subordinated to the central command of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Administratively, the Ukrainian SSR was divided into three Soviet military districts (the Carpathian Military District, Kyiv Military District, and Odesa Military District). Three Soviet air commands and most of the Black Sea Fleet naval bases were located on the coast of Ukraine.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the newly independent state of Ukraine inherited one of the most powerful force groupings in Europe. According to an associate of the Conflict Studies Research Centre, James Sherr: "This grouping, its inventory of equipment and its officer corps was designed for one purpose: to wage combined arms, coalition, offensive (and nuclear) warfare against NATO on an external front".^[16] At that time, the former Soviet armed forces in the Ukrainian SSR included the 43rd Rocket Army, the 5th, 14th 17th and 24th Air Armies of the Soviet Air Forces, an air-defense army (8th Air Defence Army), three regular armies, two tank armies, the 32nd Army Corps, and the Black Sea Fleet.^[17] Altogether the Armed Forces of Ukraine included about 780,000 personnel, 6,500 tanks, about 7,000 combat armored vehicles, 1,500 combat aircraft, and more than 350 ships. Along with their equipment and personnel, Ukraine's armed forces inherited the battle honors and lineage of the Soviet forces stationed in Ukraine. However, due to the deterioration of Russian-Ukrainian relations and the continued stigma of being associated with the Soviet Union, in 2015 the President of Ukraine ordered the removal of most of the citations awarded to the Ukrainian units during the Soviet era.^[18]

In February 1991, a parliamentary Standing Commission for Questions of Security and Defense was established. On 24 August 1991, the Ukrainian parliament (the Verkhovna Rada), in adopting the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, also enacted a short resolution "About military formations in Ukraine".^[19] This took jurisdiction over all formations of the armed forces of the Soviet Union stationed on Ukrainian soil and established one of the key agencies, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.^[20] On 3 September 1991, the Ministry of Defence commenced its duties. On 22 October 1991 units and formations of the Soviet Armed Forces on Ukrainian soil were nationalized.^[21] Subsequently, the Supreme Council of Ukraine adopted two Laws of Ukraine on 6 December 1991,^[22][23] and Presidential Decree #4 "About Armed Forces of Ukraine" on 12 December 1991.^[24] The government of Ukraine surrendered any rights of succession to the Soviet Strategic Deterrence Forces^[25] (see Strategic Missile Troops) that were staged on the territory of Ukraine. Recognizing the complications of a smooth transition and seeking a consensus with other former members of the Soviet Union in dividing up their Soviet military inheritance, Ukraine joined ongoing talks that started in December 1991^[26] regarding a joint military command of the Commonwealth of Independent States.^[27]

Inherent in the process of creating a domestic military were political decisions by the Ukrainian leadership regarding the country's non-nuclear and international status. Among these were the definition, agreement, and ratification of the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which not only established the maximum level of armament for each republic of the former USSR, but also a special ceiling for the so-called CFE "Flank Region" – included in this region were Ukraine's Mykolaiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Another key event in the development of the Ukrainian military was the 1992 Tashkent Treaty, which laid out aspirations for a Commonwealth of Independent States military. However, this collective military proved impossible to develop because the former republics of the USSR all wished to go their own way, ripping the intricate Soviet military machine into pieces.

Ukraine had observer status with the Non-Aligned Movement of nation-states from 1996.^[28] However, due to the 2014 Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada repealed this status in December 2014.^[29]

Arms control and disarmament

A Tu-22M being dismantled through assistance provided by the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program implemented by the DTRA, 2002

Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited two divisions of the Strategic Rocket Forces' 43rd Rocket Army (HQ Vinnytsia): the 19th Rocket Division (Khmelnytskyi) (90 UR-100N/SS-19/RS-18) and the 46th Rocket Division at Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv Oblast, equipped with 40 SS-19 and 46 silo-mounted RT-23 Molodets/SS-24s.^[30] While Ukraine had physical control of these systems, it did not have operational control. The use of the weapons was dependent on Russian-controlled electronic Permissive Action Links and the Russian command and control system.^[31][32]

An SS-20 on display at the World War II Museum in Kyiv

Ukraine voluntarily gave up these and all other nuclear weapons during the early 1990s. This was the first time in history that a country voluntarily gave up the use of strategic nuclear weapons, although South Africa was dismantling its small tactical nuclear weapons program at about the same time.

Ukraine had plentiful amounts of highly enriched uranium, which the United States wanted to buy from the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology. Ukraine also had two uranium mining and processing factories, a heavy water plant and technology for determining the isotopic composition of fissionable materials. Ukraine possessed deposits of uranium that were among the world's richest. In May 1992, Ukraine signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), in which the country agreed to give up all nuclear weapons and to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. Ukraine ratified the treaty in 1994, and as of 1 January 1996, no military nuclear equipment or materials remained on Ukrainian territory.

On 13 May 1994, the United States and Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Transfer of Missile Equipment and Technology. This agreement committed Ukraine to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) by controlling exports of missile-related equipment and technology according to the MTCR Guidelines.

Ukraine and NATO estimate that 2.5 million tons of conventional ammunition were left in Ukraine as the Soviet military withdrew, as well as more than 7 million rifles, pistols, mortars, and machine guns. The surplus weapons and ammunition were stored in over 180 military bases, including in bunkers, salt mines and in the open.^[33] As of 2014, much of this surplus had not been scrapped.^[34][35]

Marine of the Ukrainian Naval Infantry in a military exercise at Scotland, 2003

Attempt at reforms and constant fund shortages

Ukraine's first military reforms began in December 1996, with the adoption of a new "State Program for the Building and Development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine". One of the aspects was to shrink the standard combat unit from division size to brigade size which would then fall under the command of one of the three newly created military district; the Western Operational Command, the Southern Operational Command, and the largest – the Northern Operational/Territorial Command.^[36] Only Ukraine's 1st Airmobile Division was not downsized. This downsizing occurred purely for financial reasons, with the Ukrainian economy in recession this was a way to shrink the government (defense) expenditure and at the same time release hundreds of thousands of young people into the private sector to stimulate growth.^[37] During this time Ukraine's military-industrial complex also began to develop new indigenous weapons for the armed forces like the T-84 tank, the BMP-1U, the BTR-3, KrAZ-6322, and the Antonov An-70. All these reforms were championed by Leonid Kuchma, the second President of Ukraine, who wanted to retain a capable military and a functioning military-industrial complex on the basis of a mistrust for Russia, stating once "The threat of Russification is a real concern for us".^[38]

The cancellation of the modernization program left a question of how to provide jobs in the military industrial complex which then comprised a double-digit percentage of the GDP. Export of new and modernized weapons on the world's arms markets was settled on as the best option, where Ukraine both tried to undercut the contracts of the Russian arms industry – offering the same service for a cheaper price, and was willing to sell equipment to whoever was willing to pay (more than once to politically unstable or even aggressive regimes), causing negative reactions from both Western Europe and the United States federal government.^[39] During this time 320 T-80 tanks were sold to Pakistan and an unfinished Soviet aircraft carrier the Varyag which today is known as the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning.^[40]

Though the military was well-equipped, it still experienced lack of funds particularly for training and exercises, which led to a number of incidents with one notable one being the Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 of 2001 the other Sknyliv airshow disaster of 2002. Still, the military's effectiveness was demonstrated during the Tuzla Island Conflict. In 2003 Ukraine completed its first set of reforms which were judged largely successful, with the personnel numbers stabilizing at 295,000 of which 90,000 were civilian contractors.

Ukrainian Airmobile Forces in 2011

Ukrainian military tactics and organization are heavily dependent on Cold War tactics and former Soviet Armed Forces organization. Under former President Yushchenko, Ukraine pursued a policy of independence from Russian dominance, and thus tried to fully integrate with the West, specifically NATO.

Ukrainian soldiers talking with a US Army soldier during the Rapid Trident 2011 military exercise

Until the Euromaidan crisis of 2014, Ukraine retained tight military relations with Russia, inherited from their common Soviet history. Common uses for naval bases in the Crimea and joint air defense efforts were the most intense cooperative efforts. This cooperation was a permanent irritant in bilateral relations, but Ukraine appeared economically dependent on Moscow, and thus unable to break such ties quickly. After the election of President Viktor Yanukovych, ties between Moscow and Kyiv warmed, and those between Kyiv and NATO cooled, relative to the Yushchenko years.

Russo-Ukrainian War (2014 – present)

T-64BMs in Eastern Ukraine

Anti-terrorist operation in Eastern Ukraine, 2014

In March 2014, following the Revolution of Dignity and the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, the government of Ukraine announced a new military service, the National Guard of Ukraine. Previously, a National Guard had existed up until 2000, so the 2014 NG was a reformation of the one raised in 1991, but this time formed part of the Internal Troops of Ukraine.

In May 2014, when the Russian aggression started in the eastern regions, a helicopter with 14 soldiers on board, including General Serhiy Kulchytskiy, who headed combat and special training for the country's National Guard, was brought down by militants near Sloviansk in East Ukraine. Outgoing President Oleksandr Turchynov described the downing as a "terrorist attack," and blamed pro-Russian militants.^[41]

In the early months of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Armed Forces were widely criticised for their poor equipment and inept leadership, forcing Internal Affairs Ministry forces like the National Guard and the territorial defence battalions to take on the brunt of the fighting in the first months of the war.^[42][43]

In late July 2015, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry revealed new Ukrainian Armed Forces uniform designs, and later a revised rank insignia system was created.^[44] These made their national debut on 24 August 2016, at the National Independence Day Silver Jubilee parade in Independence Square, Kyiv.

From the early 1990s, the Armed Forces had a large number of units and formations with Soviet Armed Forces decorations dating back to the Second World War or earlier. Due to the decommunization process in Ukraine, all these decorations were removed from unit titles and regimental colours by 15 November 2015 to cease promotion and glorification of the Soviet symbols.^[45][18] Ukraine also had retained a number of Guards units, also following a Soviet tradition. A list can be seen at List of guards units of Ukraine. On 22 August 2016, the "Guards" titles were removed from all unit and formation names.^[46] Only one brigade, the 51st, a former Guards unit, had been dissolved the year before.

By February 2018, the Ukrainian armed forces were larger and better equipped than ever before, numbering 200,000 active-service military personnel and most of the volunteer soldiers of the territorial defence battalions have been integrated into the official Ukrainian army.^[47]

A late 2017-early 2018 United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that human rights abuses allegedly committed by Ukrainian security forces and armed groups remained an ongoing issue of the war in Donbas that erupted in 2014. The nature of the alleged crimes ranged from unlawful or arbitrary detention to torture, ill-treatment, and sexual violence. Within the reporting period of 16 November 2017 to 15 February 2018 the OHCHR monitoring mission documented 115 cases of credible allegations of human rights violations committed by both sides of the conflict since 2014.^[48]

On 1 February 2022, the Territorial Defense Forces were formed as the new branch of the Armed Forces. The TDF serves as a military reserve force which is formed by volunteers who are mobilized for local defense.^[49] The branch is an expansion of the old territorial defence battalions system established in 2014.^[49]

Ukraine and NATO Membership

Operators of the Special Operations Forces, an independent branch of the armed forces founded in 2016

Ukraine's stated national policy is Euro-Atlantic integration, with the European Union. Ukraine has a "Distinctive Partnership" with NATO (see Enlargement of NATO) and has been an active participant in Partnership for Peace exercises and in peacekeeping in the Balkans. This close relationship with NATO has been most apparent in Ukrainian cooperation and combined peacekeeping operations with its neighbor Poland in Kosovo. Ukrainian servicemen also served under NATO command in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Operation Active Endeavour.^[50] Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych considered the level of co-operation between Ukraine and NATO sufficient.^[51] His predecessor Viktor Yushchenko had asked for Ukrainian membership by early 2008.^[52][53] During the 2008 Bucharest summit, NATO had declared that Ukraine will become a member of NATO whenever it wants and when it meets the criteria for accession.^[51] Yanukovych, however, opted to keep Ukraine a non-aligned state. This materialized on June 3, 2010, when the Verkhovna Rada excluded, with 226 votes, the goal of "integration into Euro-Atlantic security and NATO membership" from the country's national security strategy.^[54] Amid the Euromaidan unrest, Yanukovych fled Ukraine in February 2014.^[55]

Ukrainian Air Assault Forces paratroopers with new modernized equipment

The interim Yatsenyuk Government which came to power, initially said, with reference to the country's non-aligned status, that it had no plans to join NATO.^[56] However, following the Russo-Ukrainian War and parliamentary elections in October 2014, the new government made joining NATO a priority.^[57] On 23 December 2014, the Verkhovna Rada renounced Ukraine's non-aligned status^[55][58] that "proved to be ineffective in guaranteeing Ukraine's security and protecting the country from external aggression and pressure".^[59] The Ukrainian military is since transforming to NATO standards.^[60] Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated early February 2016 that de facto the Armed Forces must, soon as possible, begin its transition for Ukrainian entry into NATO and towards NATO-capable armed forces.^[60] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a renewed call to Western powers for NATO membership during the Russian buildup on the border in 2021 but was ultimately unsuccessful.^[61]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Territorial Defense Forces air defense squad in 2022

Beginning Thursday, 24 February 2022, the Russian Armed Forces launched an invasion of Ukraine.^[62] The Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with its auxiliary and wartime-affiliated organizations, have been participants of many of the combat actions of the current conflict. Alongside the combat actions, the influx of Western weapons and materiel to the Armed Forces from NATO member armed forces, ex-Soviet stock from many Eastern European nations as well as captured Russian tanks, armed vehicles and other weapons^[63] have also resulted in an ongoing modernization and expansion of the forces at large.

Discover more about History related topics

Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces

Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces

The Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces or Imperial and Royal Armed Forces were the military forces of Austria-Hungary. It comprised two main branches: The Army (Landstreitkräfte) and the Navy (Kriegsmarine). Both of them organised their own aviation branches – the Army's Aviation Troops and the Navy's Naval Aviation. The Army in turn consisted of its own three branches: The Common Army, the Imperial-Royal Landwehr and the Royal Hungarian Honvéd.

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 in the aftermath of the Austro-Prussian War and was dissolved shortly after its defeat in the First World War.

Sokol

Sokol

The Sokol movement is an all-age gymnastics organization first founded in Prague in the Czech region of Austria-Hungary in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner. It was based upon the principle of "a strong mind in a sound body". The Sokol, through lectures, discussions, and group outings provided what Tyrš viewed as physical, moral, and intellectual training for the nation. This training extended to men of all ages and classes, and eventually to women.

Plast

Plast

The Plast National Scout Organization of Ukraine, commonly called Ukrainian Plast or simply Plast, is the largest Scouting organization in Ukraine.

Imperial Russian Army

Imperial Russian Army

The Imperial Russian Army was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Army consisted of more than 900,000 regular soldiers and nearly 250,000 irregulars.

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR, previously known as the Russian Soviet Republic and the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic as well as being unofficially known as Soviet Russia, the Russian Federation or simply Russia, was an independent federal socialist state from 1917 to 1922, and afterwards the largest and most populous of the Soviet socialist republics of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1922 to 1991, until becoming a sovereign part of the Soviet Union with priority of Russian laws over Union-level legislation in 1990 and 1991, the last two years of the existence of the USSR. The Russian Republic was composed of sixteen smaller constituent units of autonomous republics, five autonomous oblasts, ten autonomous okrugs, six krais and forty oblasts. Russians formed the largest ethnic group. The capital of the Russian SFSR was Moscow and the other major urban centers included Leningrad, Stalingrad, Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk, Gorky and Kuybyshev. It was the first Marxist-Leninist state in the world.

German Empire

German Empire

The German Empire, also referred to as Imperial Germany, the Second Reich, or simply Germany, was the period of the German Reich from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the November Revolution in 1918, when the German Reich changed its form of government from a monarchy to a republic.

Hetman of Ukraine

Hetman of Ukraine

Hetman of Ukraine is a former historic government office and political institution of Ukraine that is equivalent to a head of state or a monarch.

Pavlo Skoropadskyi

Pavlo Skoropadskyi

Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, decorated Imperial Russian Army and Ukrainian Army general of Cossack heritage. Skoropadskyi became Hetman of Ukraine following a coup on 29 April 1918.

Central Powers

Central Powers

The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires, was one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria and was also known as the Quadruple Alliance.

Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. The rise of the Russian Empire coincided with the decline of neighbouring rival powers: the Swedish Empire, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Qajar Iran, the Ottoman Empire, and Qing China. It also held colonies in North America between 1799 and 1867. Covering an area of approximately 22,800,000 square kilometres (8,800,000 sq mi), it remains the third-largest empire in history, surpassed only by the British Empire and the Mongol Empire; it ruled over a population of 125.6 million people per the 1897 Russian census, the only census carried out during the entire imperial period. Owing to its geographic extent across three continents at its peak, it featured great ethnic, linguistic, religious, and economic diversity.

Free Cossacks

Free Cossacks

Free Cossacks were Ukrainian Cossacks that were organized as volunteer militia units in the spring of 1917 in the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Free Cossacks are seen as precursors of the modern Ukrainian national law enforcement organizations such as the National Guard of Ukraine or the Internal Troops of Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky with the senior leadership of the Ukrainian military in May 2019

As of 2010^[update] the total personnel was 200,000 (including 41,000 civilian workers).^[64] Conscription was stopped in October 2013;^[65] at that time the Ukrainian armed forces were made up of 40% conscripts and 60% contract soldiers.^[65] Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov reinstated conscription in May 2014.^[66]

In early 2014, Ukraine had 130,000 personnel in its armed forces, which could be boosted to about one million with reservists.^[66]

There were a reported total of 250,800 personnel in the Armed Forces in 2015.^[67] In July 2022, Defense Minister Resnikov stated that the Armed Forces had an active strength of 700,000; Resnikov also mentioned that with the Border Guard, National Guard, and police added, the total comes to around one million.^[68]

Following the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine adopted a military doctrine focusing on defense against Russia and announced Ukraine's intentions for closer relations with NATO armed services, most especially if it joins the organization in the future.^[69]

The law 'On the Foundations of National Resistance'^[70] establishes the following structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces:

Army Parade on the occasion of the Independence Day of Ukraine (2018)

• General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
• Joint Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
• services of the UAF
  • Ground Forces
  • Air Force
  • Navy
• separate branches of the UAF
  • Special Operations Forces Command
  • Territorial Defense Command
  • Logistical Forces Command
  • Support Forces Command
  • Medical Forces Command
• separate troop arms of the UAF
  • Air Landing Assault Troops Command
  • Signals and Cyber-Security Troops Command
• organs of military command and control, formations and units, which are separate from the services, branches and arms

Ministry of Defence

The following establishments and institutions fall directly under MoD subordination:^[71]

Structures directly subordinated to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence

Ukrainian Ministry of Defence Apparatus, Kyiv

• Main Intelligence Directorate
• Security Service of the MoD
• Main Inspection
• Defence Policies Directorate
• Defence Information Policies and Strategic Communications Directorate
• Military Education and Science Department
• Military Technical Policies, Development and Military Weaponry and Equipment Department
• Internal Audit department
• Military Policies and Strategic Planning Department
• State Purchases and Deliveries of Material Resources Department
• Information Organisation Works and Control Department
• Personnel Policies Department
• International Defence Co-operation Department
• Social and Personnel Policies Support Department
• Financial Department
• Judicial Support Department
• Military Representations Directorate
• Anti-Corruption Directorate
• State Secrets Security Directorate
• Press and Information Directorate
• Physical Culture and Sport Directorate
• Control Measures Coordination Unit
• Mobilization Preparedness Unit

State Aviation Scientific Development Institute, Kyiv

State Scientific Test Center of the AFU (MU А4444), Honcharivsk, Chernihiv Oblast

Central Scientific Research Institute of the AFU (MU А0202), Kyiv

Central Military Weaponry and Equipment Scientific Research Institute of the AFU (MU А4566), Kyiv

Scientific Research Center of the Missile and Artillery Troops (MU А????), Sumy, Sumy Oblast

Scientific Research Center for Humanitarian Matters of the AFU (MU А2350), Kyiv

Central Directorate for Acquisition and Delivery of Material Supplies of the AFU, Kyiv

Codification Bureau (MU А2387), Kyiv

Military Delegations of the MoU

Chief of the General Staff

The Chief of the General Staff oversees the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The following units fall under the direct supervision of the General Staff:

Apparatus [Office] of the Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv

Office of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv

Units directly subordinated to the General Staff of the UAF:

• Joint Forces Command (MU А0135), Kyiv
• Main Command Center of the AFU (MU А0911), Kyiv
• Back-up Command Center of the AFU (MU А3258), Radomyshl, Zhytomyr Oblast
• 15th Airborne Command and Control Center of the General Staff of the UAF (MU А0905), Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia Oblast
• Main Directorate for Moral and Psychological Support of the AFU, Kyiv
• Main Directorate for Military Cooperation and Verification of the AFU, Kyiv
• Central Military Security Directorate, Kyiv
• Directorate for Career Development of NCO Personnel, Kyiv
• 101st Separate Security Brigade of the General Staff 'Colonel-General Henadii Vorobiov' (МУ А0139), Kyiv
• other units and establishments directly under the General Staff of the AFU

Military Educational Establishments and Units (directly under the MoD)

• National Defense University of Ukraine 'Ivan Chernyakhovsky', Kyiv
• Military Institute of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv
• Zhytomyr Military Institute 'Sergei Korolev', Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 190th Training Center, Huyva, Zhytomyr Oblast
• Military Judicial Institute of the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University, Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
• Kyiv Military High School 'Ivan Bohun', Kyiv

Ukrainian Ground Forces

Ukrainian T-64BM Bulat

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2022)

As of 2016, there were a reported 169,000 personnel in the Ukrainian Ground Forces.^[72] The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in massive increases in personnel numbers; Defence Minister Resnikov stated the armed forces had a strength of 700,000 in July 2022, not counting the border guard, national guard, or police.^[68] The Ukrainian Ground Forces are divided into Armoured and Mechanized Forces, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence and Rocket and Artillery Troops. There are 13 mechanized brigades and two mountain warfare brigades in the Mechanized Forces. Ukraine also has two armoured brigades. There are also seven rocket and artillery brigades. Until 2013, the Ground Forces were divided into three army corps. These were disbanded in 2013 and reorganized as Operation Command West, Operation Command North and Operation Command South. Operation Command East was formed in 2015 to coordinate forces in the war in Donbas.

Ukrainian Su-25

Ukrainian Air Force

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2022)

In 2016, the Ukrainian Air Force was reported to have included 36,300 personnel.^[73][74]

Ukrainian Navy

The Krivak III-class frigate Hetman Sahaydachniy; the previous flagship of the Ukrainian Navy^[75] before being scuttled in 2022.^[76]

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2022)

According to an August 2015 Kyiv Post report, the Ukrainian Navy consisted of 6,500 personnel.^[77]

Air Assault Forces paratroopers

Air Assault and Airborne Forces

The Ukrainian Air Assault Forces are composed of 8 air landing, air assault and air-mobile brigades and support units. These are high-readiness ground units without air-assets and are considered elite within the armed forces.

Airborne and Air Assault Forces Command (MU А3771), Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast

• Support units
  • 135th Command Battalion, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 347th Information and Telecommunications Nod, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • Airborne Forces Support Commandature
  • 132nd Reconnaissance Battalion, Ozerne Air Base, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 102nd Storage for Airborne Vehicles and Equipment, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 232nd Joint Supply Base, Rakhni village, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • 124th Topographic Unit, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast (part of the Military Topographic Service (of the Support Forces Command) attached to the Air Assault and Airborne Forces)
• Combat forces
  • Airborne
    • 25th Airborne 'Sicheslavska' Brigade (MU А1126)
  • Air Assault
    • 45th Air Assault Brigade (MU A????), Bolhrad, Odesa Oblast
    • 46th Air Assault Brigade (MU A????), Poltava, Poltava Oblast
    • 79th Air Assault Brigade (MU А0224), Mykolaiv, Mykolaiv Oblast
    • 80th Air Assault Brigade (MU А0284), Lviv, Lviv Oblast and Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast
    • 95th Air Assault Brigade (MU А0281), Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • air mobile
    • 81st Airmobile Brigade, Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast
  • 23rd Tank Battalion, Velikyi Kobilin, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 148th Howitzer Self-Propelled Artillery Battalion, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
• Training units
  • 199th Training Center, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
    • 37th Combined Arms Training Range, Perlyavka village, Teterіvka District, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast

Special Forces

Ukraine's special forces are reported as 4,000 strong.^[2]

Special Operations Forces Command (Military Unit [MU] А0987), Kyiv

Ukrainian Special Operation Forces

• Command and combat support units:
  • 99th Command and Support Battalion (MU А3628), Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 142nd Education and Training Center (MU А2772), Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast
• Land warfare special purpose units:
  • 3rd Special Purpose Regiment 'Prince Sviatoslav the Brave' (MU А0680), Kropyvnytskyi, Kirovohrad Oblast
  • 8th Special Purpose Regiment 'Iziaslav Mstislavich' (MU A0553), Khmelnitskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
  • 140th Special Operations Center (MU А0661), Khmelnitskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
• Seaborne special purpose units:
  • 73rd Maritime Special Operations Center 'Kish otaman Antin Holovaty' (MU A3199), Pervomayskiy Island, Ochakiv, Mykolaiv Oblast
• Aviation special purpose units:
  • 35th Mixed Aviation Squadron, Havryshivka Air Base (Vinnytsia IAP), Vinnytsia Oblast

Communications and Cybernetic Security Forces

The Communications and Cybernetic Security Troops Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Командування Військ зв'язку та кібернетичної безпеки Збройних Сил України) is a separate joint forces command under the General Staff since 5 February 2020.^[78]

Signals and Cybernetic Security Troops Command (MU А0106), Kyiv

• Main Command Post of the Signals and Information Systems (MU А2666), Kyiv
• Main Center for Information and Telecommunications Systems Security Control (MU А0334), Kyiv
• Main Information and Telecommunications Nod (MU А0351), Kyiv
• 1st Separate Field 'Proskurov' Signals Nod (MU А0565), Kyiv
• 3rd Separate Signals Brigade (MU А0415), Semipolki, Kyiv Oblast
• 8th Separate Signals Regiment (MU А0707), Haisyn, Vinnytsia Oblast
• 330th Central Nod of the Feldjaeger-Postal [Field Courier] Service (MU А0168), Kyiv
• 1899th Central Base for Repair and Overhaul of Special Signals Equipment (MU А0476), Kyiv

training establishments and units

• Military Institute for Telecommunications and Information Automatization (MITIA) 'Heroes of Kruty', Kyiv
• Military College for NCO Personnel of the MITIA, Poltava, Poltava Oblast
• 179th Joint Education and Training Center of the Signals Troops (MU А3990), Poltava, Poltava Oblast

under other services and troops

• Signals and Information Systems Center of the Joint Forces Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kyiv
• Signals and Information Systems directorates to the headquarters of the ground forces, air force, navy, air landing and assault troops, special operations forces, territorial defence forces, support forces, logistical forces etc.

Support Forces

Since 1 January 2022,^[79] the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff.

Support Forces Command (Military Unit Number А2330), Kyiv

• Central Directorate of Engineer Troops of the UAF (MU А0107), Kyiv
  • 20th Arsenal of the Engineer Troops (MU А0543), Olshanytsia, Kyiv Oblast and Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast
  • 47th Engineer Brigade (MU А2755), Dubno, Rivne Oblast
    • 301st Road Traffic Control Battalion
    • 304th Road Traffic Control Battalion
  • 48th Engineer 'Kamianets-Podilskaya' Brigade (MU А2738), Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
    • 11th Pontoon-Bridging Battalion
    • 308th Engineer Technical Battalion
    • 309th Engineer Technical Battalion
    • 310th Engineer Technical Battalion
    • 311th Engineer Technical Battalion
    • 321st Engineer Battalion
  • 70th Support Regiment (MU А0853), Bar, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • 107th Road Maintenance Center (MU А1519), Dubno, Rivne Oblast
  • 808th Support Regiment (MU А3955), Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast Oblast
  • 3046th Central Base for Engineer Ammunitions (MU А2647), Malynivka, Kharkiv Oblast
  • Center for Special Engineering Works (MU А1333), Kyiv
• Central Directorate of the Nuclear, Biological, Chemical Defence Troops of the UAF (MU А0108), Kyiv
  • NBC Surveillance and Analysis Center, Kyiv
  • 704th Regiment of Radiological, Chemical, and Biological Protection (MU А0807), Sambir village, Lviv Oblast
  • 536th Central Base for Repair and Maintenance of NBC Defence Equipment (MU А0312), Seleshtina-1, Poltava Oblast
• Central Directorate for Radio-Electronic Warfare of the UAF (MU А0159), Kyiv
  • 55th Special EW Center (MU А0766), Kyiv and Brovary, Kyiv Oblast
• Central Directorate for Military Topography and Navigation of the UAF (MU А0115), Kyiv
  • 8th Publishing Center of the UAF (MU А0602), Kyiv
  • 13th Photogrammetric Center (MU А3674), Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 16th Planning Center for Navigation Support (MU А1423), Kyiv
  • 22nd Military Mapping Unit (MU А1121), Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
  • 64th Topography-Geodesic Center (MU А4127), Shepetivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
  • 161st Topography-Geodesic Center (MU А2308), Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast
  • 115th Mapping Center (MU А3796), Kotsyubynske, Kyiv Oblast
• Hydro-Meteorological Center of the UAF(MU А0204), Kyiv
  • Hydro-meteorological units of the ground forces, air force and navy
• Training units
  • Joint Education and Training Center of the Support Forces (MU А2641), Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Logistical Forces

Since 1 January 2022,^[80] support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff. The logistical forces are mainly organised in two arms – Weaponry and Rear Services.

Logistical Forces Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (MU А0307), Kyiv

• Armament Service of the UAF (MU А2513)
  • Central Support Directorate for Ground Weapons Systems
  • Central Support Directorate for Military Equipment
  • Central Support Directorate for Weapons of Mass Destruction
  • Central Missile and Artillery Directorate of the UAF (MU А0120)
  • Central Automobile Directorate of the UAF (MU А0119)
  • Central Armored Directorate of the UAF (MU А0174)
  • Department for Metrology and Standardization of the UAF (MU А2187)
• Rear Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (MU А2516)
  • Central Support Directorate for Fuel and Lubricants (MU А0125)
  • Central Support Directorate for Food Supply of the UAF (MU А0126)
  • Central Support Directorate for Material Support of the UAF (MU А0127)
  • Central Support Directorate for Resources Supply
  • Central Support Directorate for Technical Equipment and Property
  • Central Support Directorate for Engineering and Infrastructure
  • Central Directorate for Military Communications of the UAF (MU А0671)
• military units subordinated to the Armament Service
• military units subordinated to the Rear Service

Medical Forces

Since January 1, 2022^[81] the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff.

Medical Forces Command (MU А0928), Kyiv

• National Military Medical Clinical Center 'Main Military Clinical Hospital', Kyiv
  • 71st Mobile Military Hospital (MU А0358), Kyiv
  • Military Medical Clinical Center for Professional Patology (MU А2923), Irpin, Kyiv Oblast
  • Central Dental Policlinic, Kyiv
  • Center for Medical Rehabilitation and Sanatorium Treatment 'Pushcha-Voditsya' (MU А1931), Kyiv
• Military Medical Clinical Center of the Central Region (''Військово-медичний клінічний центр Центрального регіону'') (MU А????), Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • 59th Mobile Military Hospital (MU А0206), Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • 10th Military Hospital (MU А2339), Khmelnytskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
  • 409th Military Hospital (MU А1065), Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 762nd Military Hospital (MU А3122), Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast
  • ?th Military Hospital (MU А3267), Starokonstantyniv, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
  • 1314th Medical Storage (MU А1603), Balki village, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • Center for Medical Rehabilitation and Sanatorium Treatment 'Khmelnyk' (MU А1168), Khmelnyk, Vinnytsia Oblast
• Military Medical Clinical Center of the Southern Region (MU A????), Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 38th Military Hospital (MU А4615), Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
  • 61st Military Hospital (MU А0318), Mariupol, Mariupol Oblast
  • 450th Military Hospital (MU А3309), Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
  • 1467th Military Hospital (MU А2428), Mykolaiv, Mykolaiv Oblast
  • 1644th Medical Storage (MU А4619), Hrushyvka village, Mykolaiv Oblast
  • Center for Medical Rehabilitation and Sanatorium Treatment 'Odeskyi', Odesa, Odesa Oblast
• Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region (MU А3306), Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
  • 65th Mobile Military Hospital (MU А0209), Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
  • 9th Military Hospital (MU А4302), Desna, Chernihiv Oblast
  • 387th Garrison Military Hospital (MU А3114), Poltava, Poltava Oblast
  • 407th Military Hospital (MU А3120), Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
• Military Medical Clinical Center of the Western Region, Lviv, Lviv Oblast
  • 66th Mobile Military Hospital (MU А0233), Lviv, Lviv Oblast
  • 376th Military Hospital (MU А1028), Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast
  • 498th Military Hospital (MU А4554), Lutsk, Volyn Oblast
  • 1121st Policlinic, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
  • 1129th Garrison Military Hospital (MU А1446), Rivne, Rivne Oblast
  • 1397th Military Hospital (MU А1047), Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast
  • Center for Medical Rehabilitation and Sanatorium Treatment 'Truskavetskyi' (MU А1700), Truskavets, Lviv Oblast
• Central Sanitary Epidemiologic Directorate (MU А2417), Kyiv
  • 10th Regional Sanitary Epidemiologic Detachment (MU А0972), Kyiv
  • 27th Regional Sanitary Epidemiologic Detachment (MU А4502), Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 28th Regional Sanitary Epidemiologic Detachment (MU А4520), Lviv, Lviv Oblast
  • 108th Regional Sanitary Epidemiologic Detachment (MU А4510), Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
  • 740th Regional Sanitary Epidemiologic Detachment (MU А4516), Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia Oblast
• Center for Legal Expertise of the MoD, Kyiv
• 148th Center for Maintenance and Storage of Medical Equipment (MU А0211), Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast
• 149th Center for Maintenance and Storage of Medical Equipment (MU А0503), Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast
• 150th Center for Maintenance and Storage of Medical Equipment (MU А1209), Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
• 151st Center for Maintenance and Storage of Medical Equipment (MU А2554), Terentyivka, Poltava Oblast
• 2160th Central Medical Storage (MU А1382), Mankhivka, Cherkasy Oblast
• 4962nd Central Medical Storage (MU А1952), Kyiv

Training establishments and units

• Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Kyiv

Medical forces under other services and arms

• Medical departments of the ground forces, air force, navy, air assault troops, special forces, territorial defence, support forces, logistic forces, signals and cyber-security, etc.

Military Police

The military police (named the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Військова служба правопорядку Збройних Сил України), abbreviated VSP (ВСП) in Ukrainian) is a special military service outside General Staff control and subordinated directly to the Ministry of Defence.

Main Directorate of the VSP (MU А0880), Kyiv

• Counterincursion and Counterterror Department (Відділ протидії диверсіям та терористичним актам)

directly reporting:

• 93rd VSP Battalion (MU А2424), Kyiv
• 138th Special Purpose Center (Counterincursion and Counterterror) 'Knyaz Vladimir Svyatoslavich' (MU А0952), Vasylkiv, Kyiv Oblast
• 307th Disciplinary Battalion of the VPS (MU А0488), Kyiv
• 25th Training Center of the VSP (MU А1666), Lviv, Lviv Oblast

Territorial forces:

Central Directorate (direct responsibility over Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast) (MU А2100), Kyiv

• Bila Tserkva Zonal Office, Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast
• Zhytomyr Zonal Unit (AOR: Zhytomyr Oblast), Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • Novohrad-Volynsky Office
• Poltava Zonal Unit (AOR: Poltava and Sumy Oblasts), Poltava, Poltava Oblast
  • Sumy Zonal Office
  • Konotop VSP Group
• Cherkasy Zonal Unit (AOR: Cherkasy Oblast), Cherkasy, Cherkasy Oblast
  • Uman VSP Group, Uman, Cherkasy Oblast
• Chernihiv Zonal Unit (AOR: Chernihiv Oblast), Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
  • Desna VSP Group, Desna, Chernihiv Oblast

Western Territorial Directorate (direct responsibility over Lviv Oblast) (MU А0583), Lviv, Lviv Oblast

• Special Purpose Unit
• Yavoriv Zonal Office
• 3rd Special Unit (MU А2736), Lviv, Lviv Oblast
• Rivne Zonal Unit (AOR: Rivne and Volyn Oblasts), Rivne, Rivne Oblast
  • Volodymyr-Volynskyi Zonal Office
• Ternopil Zonal Unit (AOR: Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblasts), Ternopil, Ternopil Oblast
  • Ivano-Frankivsk Zonal Office
• Uzhhorod Zonal Unit (AOR: Zakarpattia Oblast), Uzhhorod
  • Mukachevo Zonal Office
• Khmelnytskyi Zonal Unit (AOR: Khmelnytskyi Oblast), Khmelnytskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Southern Territorial Directorate (direct responsibility over Odesa Oblast) (MU А1495), Odesa, Odesa Oblast

• Special Purpose Unit
• VSP Office Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi
• Vinnytsia Zonal Unit (AOR: Vinnytsia Oblast), Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • Special Purpose Office
• Mykolaiv Zonal Unit (AOR: Mykolaiv and Kirovohrad Oblast), Mykolaiv, Mykolaiv Oblast
  • Kirovohrad Zonal Office
• Kherson Zonal Unit (AOR: Kherson Oblast), Kherson, Kherson Oblast

Eastern Territorial Directorate (direct responsibility over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) (MU А2256), Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

• Kryvyi Rih Zonal Office
• VSP Office Cherkasy
• Special Unit 'Sarmat' (MU А2176), Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
• Donetsk Zonal Unit (AOR: Donetsk Oblast), Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast
• Zaporizhzhia Zonal Unit (AOR: Zaporizhzhia Oblast), Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Oblast
• Luhansk Zonal Unit (AOR: Luhansk Oblast), Severodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast
• Kharkiv Zonal Unit (AOR: Kharkiv Oblast), Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
  • Chuhuiv Office

Discover more about Structure related topics

Structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is multifaceted.

Oleksandr Turchynov

Oleksandr Turchynov

Oleksandr Valentynovych Turchynov is a Ukrainian politician, screenwriter, Baptist minister and economist. He is the former Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Revolution of Dignity

Revolution of Dignity

The Revolution of Dignity also known as the Maidan Revolution or the Ukrainian Revolution, took place in Ukraine in February 2014 at the end of the Euromaidan protests, when deadly clashes between protesters and state forces in the capital Kyiv culminated in the ousting of elected President Viktor Yanukovych and a return to the 2004 Constitution. It also led to the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Military doctrine

Military doctrine

Military doctrine is the expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements.

NATO

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two North American. Established in the aftermath of World War II, the organization implemented the North Atlantic Treaty, signed in Washington, D.C., on 4 April 1949. NATO is a collective security system: its independent member states agree to defend each other against attacks by third parties. During the Cold War, NATO operated as a check on the perceived threat posed by the Soviet Union. The alliance remained in place after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and has been involved in military operations in the Balkans, the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The organization's motto is animus in consulendo liber.

Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)

Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)

The Special Operations Forces are the special forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with headquarters in Kyiv.

Chief of the General Staff (Ukraine)

Chief of the General Staff (Ukraine)

The Chief of the General Staff is the head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the military staff of the Forces. He/she is appointed by the President of Ukraine.

Henadii Vorobiov

Henadii Vorobiov

Hennadiy Petrovych Vorobiov was a Ukrainian Colonel general and Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine from November 2009 to January 2014.

Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine

Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine

National Defense University of Ukraine "Ivan Chernyakhovsky" (NDUU) is a university of higher military education in Ukraine, located in its capital city of Kyiv. Subordinated to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the University trains officers specializing in national defense.

Ivan Chernyakhovsky

Ivan Chernyakhovsky

Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky was the youngest-ever Soviet General of the army. For his leadership during World War II he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union twice. He died from wounds received outside Königsberg at age 37 while in command of the 3rd Belorussian Front.

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv

Kyiv University or Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, colloquially known as KNU, is located in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. The university is recognized as the most prestigious university of Ukraine, being the largest national higher education institution. KNU is ranked within top 650 universities in the world. It is the third oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and University of Kharkiv. Currently, its structure consists of fifteen faculties and five institutes. It was founded in 1834 by the Russian Tsar Nikolai I as the Saint Vladimir Imperial University of Kiev, and since then it has changed its name several times. During the Soviet Union era, Kiev State University was one of the top-three universities in the USSR, along with Moscow State University and Leningrad State University. It is ranked as the best university in Ukraine in many rankings. Throughout history, the university has produced many famous alumni including Mykola Lysenko, Nikolay Bunge, Mykhailo Drahomanov, Mykhailo Hrushevskyi, Nikolai Berdyaev, Mikhail Bulgakov, Ivan Schmalhausen, Theodosius Dobzhansky, Viacheslav Chornovil, Leonid Kravchuk, and many others. Taras Shevchenko himself, banned from educational activities for political reasons, worked for the university as a field researcher.

Sergei Korolev

Sergei Korolev

Sergei Pavlovich Korolev was a lead Soviet rocket engineer and spacecraft designer during the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s. He is regarded by many as the father of practical astronautics. He was involved in the development of the R-7 Rocket, Sputnik 1, launching Laika, Sputnik 3, the first human-made object to make contact with another celestial body, Belka and Strelka, the first human being, Yuri Gagarin, into space, Voskhod 1, and the first person, Alexei Leonov, to conduct a spacewalk.

Education and schools

Cadets of the NDUU marching in the 2017 Kyiv Independence Day Parade

A number of universities have specialized military institutes, such as the Faculty of Military Legal Studies at Kharkiv's Yaroslav Mudryi National Law Academy of Ukraine. The primary Ukrainian military academies are:

• Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy, Lviv
• Admiral Pavel Nakhimov Naval Academy, Sevastopol
  • transferred to Mykolaiv
• Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University, Kharkiv

In addition the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine is in Kyiv.^[82]

The Central Hospital of the Armed Forces is located in Kyiv.^[83]

The armed forces' military high school is located in Kyiv – the Ivan Bohun Military High School.

Contract service

In 2017 more than 14 thousand people signed up for contract service with the Armed Forces.^[84]

For participating in the war in Donbas, (in May 2017 7.5 thousand) soldiers on the front line receive an average salary of ₴16,000.^[84] The minimum maintenance for a contract soldier is ₴7,000.^[84]

West Ukraine supplies the fewest people for contract service.^[84]

Conscription

The Soviet Union required all able-bodied male citizens to serve two years in the armed forces (three years if drafted into the navy), although the draft could be postponed due to continued higher education. It was possible to be drafted into non-Ministry of Defense military forces, such as the KGB Border Guards, the Militsiya, or the Internal Troops. When Ukraine gained its independence, it retained the policy of conscription, although the time in service was reduced to 18 months in the navy and one year in all other services. Ukraine also gradually began recruiting professional soldiers, although in almost all cases a person had to serve as a conscript prior to becoming a professional soldier. The Ukrainian Naval Infantry was the first service to convert to being staffed by fully professional marines.

In October 2013, President Viktor Yanukovych ended conscription in Ukraine. At the time 60% of Ukraine's forces were composed of professional soldiers.^[85] However, due to the Russo-Ukrainian War, conscription, as well as a partial mobilization, was reinstated in 2014.^[86] Ukraine modified the age group of males eligible for conscription for 2015 from 18–25 to the 20–27 age group.^[87]

After serving out the term of service Ukraine's conscripts become part of the inactive reserve and are eligible to be recalled for mobilization until they reach age 55, age 60 for officers. Due to the War in Donbas, Ukraine has instated a partial mobilization to fill needed positions in its armed forces, recalling conscripts who have served before, because of the war many conscripts have also been forced to serve longer than their original 18-month term of service.^[88] It was planned that in 2015 Ukraine would undergo three waves of partial mobilization, this would have allowed new troops to replace those serving longer than their original term of service.^[89]

Due to the reintroduction of conscription, and partial mobilization, Ukraine's armed forces is expected to nearly double from approximately 130,000 personnel in December 2014 to approximately 250,000 personnel in 2015.

All medical workers in Ukraine, regardless of gender, are eligible to be called up for service in case of a national emergency.

Draft dodging is present in Ukraine, as with most nations using the draft. It was reported that between April and August 2014, over 1,000 criminal inquires into draft evasion were opened in Ukraine.^[90] Draft evasion can be problematic because, unless a male citizen was unable to serve for medical reasons, an application to receive an international passport of Ukraine may be denied due to a lack of military service, thus preventing the individual from traveling abroad.^[91]

In the autumn of 2016, longer deployment of mobilized servicemen to combat area in the east of Ukraine was ceased.^[92]

On 1 February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the changing of the military training system, leading to the end of conscription by 1 January 2024.^[93] By the same date, there would be an increase in the number of professional servicemen by 100,000, to be achieved by better pay, with all military personnel to be guaranteed at least three times the minimum wage, and better housing provision.^[94] However, the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended these plans, along with massive popular mobilization into the Territorial Defence Forces. On 28 February 2022, President Zelenskyy offered release for prisoners with combat experience if they join the fight against Russia.^[95]

Role of women

Female military personnel at the Kyiv Independence Day Parade on 24 August 2018

On 3 June 2016, Defense Ministry's Order No. 292 allowed women to serve in combat units.^[96]

According to Defense Ministry figures early June 2016 some 49,500 women served in and worked in the Ukrainian military; more than 17,000 were military servicewomen, of which more than 2,000 officers.^[96] In 2020, 58,000 women served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.^[97]

Women have also joined the various volunteer territorial defense battalions before the order for women's integration in the armed forces was enacted.^[96] Women are eligible to be drafted into the military as officers.^[98] In 2009 women comprised almost 13% of the armed forces (18,000 personnel) but with few females holding high rank (2.9% or 1,202 women).^[99] Contractual military service accounted for almost 44% of women. However, this being closely linked to the low salary of such positions: men refuse to serve in these conditions while women accept them.^[99]

For the first time in 27 years, a battalion of 120 female military personnel, comprising cadets from the Taras Shevchenko National University Military Institute and the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technologies, participated in the Kyiv Independence Day Parade in August 2018.^[100][101] Their appearance as they marched along Khreshchatyk was greeted with loud applause from the spectators.^[102]

In September 2018, legislation was passed to make both women and men equal in the military and law enforcement agencies.^[103] The following month Liudmyla Shugaley [uk] became Ukraine's first female general (she was appointed the head of the Military Medical Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine).^[103]

Since 2019, the Ivan Bohun Military High School accepts both male and female cadets.

Nadiya Savchenko is perhaps one of the most well-known female Ukrainian soldiers, and was held as a prisoner in Russia from July 2014 until May 2016.^[104]

Discover more about Personnel related topics

Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine

Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine

National Defense University of Ukraine "Ivan Chernyakhovsky" (NDUU) is a university of higher military education in Ukraine, located in its capital city of Kyiv. Subordinated to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the University trains officers specializing in national defense.

Kyiv Independence Day Parade

Kyiv Independence Day Parade

The Kyiv Independence Day Parade has been the main event of various celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine, which is celebrated annually in Kyiv on August 24.

Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy

Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Ground Forces Academy

The Hetman Petro Sahaidachny National Army Academy is one of the leading educational institutions in the military education system of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, founded originally in 1899 as a school of infantry cadets. It is engaged in the training of future officers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Lviv

Lviv

Lviv is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the sixth-largest in Ukraine, with a population of 717,273 . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine. It was named in honour of Leo, the eldest son of Daniel, King of Ruthenia.

Sevastopol

Sevastopol

Sevastopol, sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea and a major port on the Black Sea. Due to its strategic location and the navigability of the city's harbours, Sevastopol has been an important port and naval base throughout its history. Since the city's founding in 1783 it has been a major base for Russia's Black Sea Fleet, and it was previously a closed city during the Cold War. The total administrative area is 864 square kilometres (334 sq mi) and includes a significant amount of rural land. The urban population, largely concentrated around Sevastopol Bay, is 479,394, and the total population is 547,820.

Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv

Mykolaiv is a city and municipality in southern Ukraine, and the administrative center of Mykolaiv Oblast. The city of Mykolaiv, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver bridge crossing of the Southern Bug river. This city is one of the main shipbuilding centers of the Black Sea. Aside from three shipyards within the city, there are a number of research centers specializing in shipbuilding such as the State Research and Design Shipbuilding Center, Zoria-Mashproekt and others. As of 2022, the city has a population of 470,011. Mykolaiv holds the honorary title Hero City of Ukraine.

Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University

Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University

The Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University is a state university administered by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and is located in the city of Kharkiv. The university is named in honor of the Soviet military pilot Ivan Kozhedub.

Kharkiv

Kharkiv

Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. Located in the northeast of the country, it is the largest city of the historic Slobozhanshchyna region. Kharkiv is the administrative centre of Kharkiv Oblast and of the surrounding Kharkiv Raion. It has a population of 1,421,125.

Kyiv

Kyiv

Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2,952,301, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.

Ivan Bohun Military High School

Ivan Bohun Military High School

The Ivan Bohun Military High School is an educational military institution located in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Soviet Border Troops

Soviet Border Troops

The Soviet Border Troops were the border guard of the Soviet Union, subordinated to the Soviet state security agency: first to the Cheka/OGPU, then to NKVD/MGB and, finally, to the KGB. Accordingly, they were known as NKVD Border Security and KGB Border Troops. Unlike the border guards of many other countries, Soviet Border Troops also included the maritime border guarding units, and aviation units.

Militsiya

Militsiya

Militsiya was the name of the police forces in the Soviet Union and in several Eastern Bloc countries (1945–1992), as well as in the non-aligned SFR Yugoslavia (1945–1992). The term continues in common and sometimes official usage in some of the individual former Soviet republics such as Belarus, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as in the partially recognised or unrecognised republics of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria, DNR and LNR.

Although not components of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, these militarized institutions are supposed to come under the Armed Forces' command during wartime. Such was the case in the 2022 Russian invasion, as these organizations, as stated below, were thus affiliated under Armed Forces command.

• National Guard of Ukraine (Ministry of Internal Affairs): 60,000^[105]
  • Special operation formations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, i.e. Omega, Scorpion (nuclear sites security), Tytan, and others. Most of Felidae-named formations (such as Bars, Jaguar, others) along with Berkut were reformed.
• Border Guard: 42,000 (including 8,000 civilian workers)^[106]
  • Ukrainian Sea Guard – the coast guard within the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine
• Various military troops of the SBU (no generic name): 30,000
• Civil Defence Forces (State Emergency Service of Ukraine): 10,218 (including 668 civilian workers)^[107]
• Special Transportation Service of Ukraine – (Ministry of Transportation and Communications)^[108]

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National Guard of Ukraine

National Guard of Ukraine

The National Guard of Ukraine is the Ukrainian national gendarmerie and internal military force. It is part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, responsible for public security. Originally created as an agency under the direct control of the Verkhovna Rada on 4 November 1991, following Ukrainian independence, it was later disbanded and merged into the Internal Troops of Ukraine in 2000 by then-President Leonid Kuchma as part of a "cost-saving" scheme. Following the 2014 Revolution of Dignity, amidst the Russian intervention, the National Guard was re-established, and the Internal Troops were disbanded.

Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)

Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the interior affairs of Ukraine. The ministry carries out state policy for the protection of rights and liberties of citizens, investigates unlawful acts against the interest of society and state, fights crime, provides civil order, ensures civil security and traffic safety, and guarantees the security and protection of important individuals. It is a centralised agency headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The ministry works closely with the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine. It oversees the National Police of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine (gendarmerie), the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the State Migration Service.

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is the border guard of Ukraine. It is an independent law enforcement agency, organized by the Constitution of Ukraine as a military formation, the head of which is subordinated to the President of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Sea Guard

Ukrainian Sea Guard

The Ukrainian Sea Guard is the coast guard service of Ukraine, subordinated to its Border Guard Service.

Coast guard

Coast guard

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.

Security Service of Ukraine

Security Service of Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine or SBU is the law enforcement authority and main intelligence and security agency of the Ukrainian government, in the areas of counter-intelligence activity and combating organized crime and terrorism. The Constitution of Ukraine defines the SBU as a military formation, and its staff are considered military personnel with ranks. It is subordinated directly under the authority of the president of Ukraine. The SBU also operates its own special forces unit, the Alpha Group.

State Emergency Service of Ukraine

State Emergency Service of Ukraine

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine, until December 24, 2012 named the Ministry of Emergencies of Ukraine is the main executive body tasked with carrying out state policy in the spheres of civil defence, rescue, creating and managing the system of insurance fund documentation, utilization of radioactive wastes, protection of population and territory in emergency situations, emergency prevention and response, liquidation in the aftermath, and the Chernobyl catastrophe.

Members of the Ukrainian Army's 19th Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Battalion in Kuwait

Ukraine has been playing an increasingly larger role in peacekeeping operations. Since 1992, over 30,000 soldiers have taken part in missions in the former Yugoslavia (IFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNPROFOR and UNTAES in Croatia, KFor in Kosovo), the Middle East (Southern Lebanon, Kuwait, Iraq), and Africa (Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia).^[109]

Deployments outside Ukraine since 1991

Since 1997, Ukraine has been working closely with NATO and especially with Poland. A Ukrainian unit was deployed as part of the multinational force in Iraq under Polish command. Ukrainian troops are also deployed as part of the Ukrainian-Polish Battalion (UKRPOLBAT) in Kosovo. The total Ukrainian military deployment around the world as of 1 August 2009 was 540 servicemen participating in 8 peacekeeping missions.^[109]

The first battle of a regular formation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces happened on 6 April 2004, in Kut, Iraq, when the Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent was attacked by militants of the Mahdi Army. The Ukrainians took fire, and over several hours held the objectives they had been assigned to secure.^[110]

Ukrainian troops riding alongside US Marines in Iraq

Ukrainian troops as part of the former Soviet Armed Forces contingent participated in UNPROFOR in 1992, and in the summer of that year were involved into the civil war in Yugoslavia. On 3 July 1992, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution committing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to UN peacekeeping missions. The Minister of Defense, Kostyantyn Morozov, ordered the creation of the 240th Separate Special Battalion (UKRBAT-1) which was based on the 93rd Guards Motor Rifle Division (now the 93rd Mechanized Brigade). Soon after arrival in Sarajevo on 31 July 1992, the battalion's artillery ended up in the middle of a mutual mortar fight between the Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims. One of the Serbian shells hit the Ukrainian position, seriously wounding seven soldiers, one of whom died after hospitalization in Germany.

Since gaining independence Ukraine has deployed troops to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, as well as dedicating peacekeepers to UN missions to Africa (including helicopter units). Ukrainian naval units also participated in anti piracy operations off the coast of Somalia prior to being recalled due to the 2014 Russian intervention in Ukraine.^[111]

On 19 January 2015, Ukraine's 18th separate helicopter detachment along with other MONUSCO troops carried out a successful operation eliminating 2 camps belonging to illegal armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[112]

Deployment outside Ukraine

•  Democratic Republic of the Congo: (MONUSCO) – 12 Experts on Mission and four Mi-24 helicopters^{[109][113][114][115]}
•  Kosovo: (KFOR) – 128 Soldiers^[109][116]
•  Kosovo: (UNMIK) – 1 Military Liaison Component Chief of Staff, 1 liaison officer^[109][113]
•  Liberia: (UNMIL) – 277 Contingent Troops, 2 Experts on Mission^[109][113]
•  Moldova: (Transnistria) – 10 Military Observers^[109]
•  Sudan: (UNMIS) – 9 Experts on Mission^[109][113]
•  Mali (20)

Annexation of Crimea by Russia

On 2 March 2014, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were placed on full alert following a Russian military intervention in Crimea.^[117]

On 19 March 2014, Ukraine drew plans to withdraw all its troops and their families to the mainland "quickly and efficiently".^[118]

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina, abbreviated BiH (БиХ) or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeastern Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north and southwest. In the south it has a narrow coast on the Adriatic Sea within the Mediterranean, which is about 20 kilometres long and surrounds the town of Neum. Bosnia, which is the inland region of the country, has a moderate continental climate with hot summers and cold, snowy winters. In the central and eastern regions of the country, the geography is mountainous, in the northwest it is moderately hilly, and in the northeast it is predominantly flat. Herzegovina, which is the smaller, southern region of the country, has a Mediterranean climate and is mostly mountainous. Sarajevo is the capital and the largest city of the country followed by Banja Luka, Tuzla and Zenica.

Croatia

Croatia

Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe. Its coast lies entirely on the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west and southwest. Its capital and largest city, Zagreb, forms one of the country's primary subdivisions, with twenty counties. The country spans 56,594 square kilometres, and has a population of nearly 3.9 million.

Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a partially recognised state in Southeast Europe. It lies at the centre of the Balkans. Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, and has since gained diplomatic recognition as a sovereign state by 101 member states of the United Nations. It is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the southeast, Albania to the southwest, and Montenegro to the west. Most of central Kosovo is dominated by the vast plains and fields of Metohija and Kosovo field. The Accursed Mountains and Šar Mountains rise in the southwest and southeast, respectively. Its capital and largest city is Pristina.

Southern Lebanon

Southern Lebanon

Southern Lebanon is the area of Lebanon comprising the South Governorate and the Nabatiye Governorate. The two entities were divided from the same province in the early 1990s. The Rashaya and Western Beqaa Districts, the southernmost districts of the Beqaa Governorate, in Southern Lebanon are sometimes included.

Kuwait

Kuwait

Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Kuwait also shares maritime borders with Iran. Kuwait has a coastal length of approximately 500 km (311 mi). Most of the country's population reside in the urban agglomeration of the capital city Kuwait City. As of 2022, Kuwait has a population of 4.45 million people of which 1.45 million are Kuwaiti citizens while the remaining 3.00 million are foreign nationals from over 100 countries. Kuwait has the largest number of stateless people in the entire region.

Iraq

Iraq

Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the west. The capital and largest city is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse ethnic groups including Iraqi Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Armenians, Yazidis, Mandaeans, Persians and Shabakis with similarly diverse geography and wildlife. The majority of the country's 40 million residents are Muslims – the notable other faiths are Christianity, Yazidism, Mandaeism, Yarsanism and Zoroastrianism. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish; others also recognised in specific regions are Suret (Assyrian), Turkish and Armenian.

Angola

Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country located on the west coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) country in both total area and population, and is the seventh-largest country in Africa. It is bordered by Namibia to the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Zambia to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Angola has an exclave province, the province of Cabinda, that borders the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital and most populous city is Luanda.

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It shares its southeastern border with Liberia, and the northern half of the nation is surrounded by Guinea. Covering a total area of 71,740 km2 (27,699 sq mi), Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, with diverse environments ranging from savanna to rainforests. The country has a population of 7,092,113 as of the 2015 census. Freetown is the capital and largest city. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are subdivided into 16 districts.

Liberia

Liberia

Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and southwest. It has a population of around 5 million and covers an area of 43,000 square miles (111,369 km2). English is the official language, but over 20 indigenous languages are spoken, reflecting the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. The country's capital and largest city is Monrovia.

Poland

Poland

Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of 312,696 km2 (120,733 sq mi). Poland has a population of 38 million and is the fifth-most populous member state of the European Union. Warsaw is the nation's capital and largest metropolis. Other major cities include Kraków, Wrocław, Łódź, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Szczecin.

Kut

Kut

Kūt, officially Al-Kut, also spelled Kutulamare or Kut al-Imara, is a city in eastern Iraq, on the left bank of the Tigris River, about 160 kilometres south east of Baghdad. As of 2018 the estimated population is about 389,400 people. It is the capital of the province long known as Al Kut, but since the 1960s renamed Wasit.

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast and Central Europe for most of the 20th century. It came into existence after World War I in 1918 under the name of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes by the merger of the provisional State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs with the Kingdom of Serbia, and constituted the first union of the South Slavic people as a sovereign state, following centuries in which the region had been part of the Ottoman Empire and Austria-Hungary. Peter I of Serbia was its first sovereign. The kingdom gained international recognition on 13 July 1922 at the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris. The official name of the state was changed to Kingdom of Yugoslavia on 3 October 1929.

The Central House of Officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

• On 9 August 2018, President Petro Poroshenko announced that the battle cry Glory to Ukraine will be the official greeting of the armed forces, replacing the Soviet era military greeting of Hello Comrades (Вітаю товариші, Vitayu tovaryshi).^[119] The greeting was first used during the Kyiv Independence Day Parade that year celebrating the centennial of the Ukrainian state.^[120][121] It is also the official greeting of the National Police of Ukraine.^[122]
• The Central House of Officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the cultural center of the Ukrainian military located in Kyiv. Since its recent reorganization, it has become one of the leading cultural centers in the Ukrainian capital. It served as a concert hall for military officers in the post-war years, during which the whole city of Kyiv was in ruins and there were practically no audience halls. It has hosted the National Military History Museum since October 1995.^[123]
• The Ukrainian Army unveiled its current uniform on Independence Day in 2016.^[124] The new uniforms were modeled on British and Polish military styles^[124] and incorporate details from the uniforms worn by the Ukrainian People's Army.^[124] The cap includes an insignia of a Ukrainian Cossack grasping a cross.^[124] Although mainly designed for the ground forces, other branches based their new uniforms off of the update. Prior to 2016, the uniforms were based on the Soviet military precedent.
• The military uses the Soviet goosestep (originally used by Prussia under the orders of King Frederick the Great) with the speed of the step being 75 steps per minute and elements of the marching pace of the Sich Riflemen.^[125][126]
• When in the present arms position, all unit colors are required to dip.
• The S. Tvorun arrangement of the Zaporizhian March has been used in the ZSU since 1991 when it replaced Farewell of Slavianka in being performed during recruiting days, when new servicemen are welcomed to the Armed Forces and recite their enlistment oaths.

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Central House of Officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Central House of Officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Central House of Officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a cultural center located in Kyiv, Ukraine. Since its recent reorganization, Central Officers House has become one of the leading cultural centers in the Ukrainian capital city.

Petro Poroshenko

Petro Poroshenko

Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko is a Ukrainian businessman and politician who served as the fifth president of Ukraine from 2014 to 2019. Poroshenko served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2010, and as the Minister of Trade and Economic Development in 2012. From 2007 until 2012, he headed the Council of Ukraine's National Bank. He was elected president on 25 May 2014, receiving 54.7% of the votes cast in the first round, thus winning outright and avoiding a run-off. During his presidency, Poroshenko led the country through the first phase of the war in Donbas, pushing the Russian separatist forces into the Donbas Region. He began the process of integration with the European Union by signing the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement.

Battle cry

Battle cry

A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate, although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious sentiment. Their purpose is a combination of arousing aggression and esprit de corps on one's own side and causing intimidation on the hostile side. Battle cries are a universal form of display behaviour aiming at competitive advantage, ideally by overstating one's own aggressive potential to a point where the enemy prefers to avoid confrontation altogether and opts to flee. In order to overstate one's potential for aggression, battle cries need to be as loud as possible, and have historically often been amplified by acoustic devices such as horns, drums, conches, carnyxes, bagpipes, bugles, etc..

Kyiv Independence Day Parade

Kyiv Independence Day Parade

The Kyiv Independence Day Parade has been the main event of various celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine, which is celebrated annually in Kyiv on August 24.

Centennial

Centennial

A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.

National Police of Ukraine

National Police of Ukraine

The National Police of Ukraine, often simply referred to as the Politsiya, is the national, and only, police service of Ukraine. It was formed on 3 July 2015, as part of the post-Euromaidan reforms launched by Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, to replace Ukraine's previous national police service, the Militsiya. On 7 November 2015, all the remaining militsiya were labelled "temporary acting" members of the National Police.

Cultural center

Cultural center

A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run.

Kyiv

Kyiv

Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2,952,301, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.

Aftermath of World War II

Aftermath of World War II

The aftermath of World War II was the beginning of a new era for all countries involved, defined by the decline of all colonial empires and simultaneous rise of two superpowers; the Soviet Union (USSR) and the United States (US). Once Allies during World War II, the US and the USSR became competitors on the world stage and engaged in the Cold War, so called because it never resulted in overt, declared total war between the two powers but was instead characterized by espionage, political subversion and proxy wars. Western Europe and Asia were rebuilt through the American Marshall Plan, whereas Central and Eastern Europe fell under the Soviet sphere of influence and eventually behind an "Iron Curtain". Europe was divided into a US-led Western Bloc and a USSR-led Eastern Bloc. Internationally, alliances with the two blocs gradually shifted, with some nations trying to stay out of the Cold War through the Non-Aligned Movement. The war also saw a nuclear arms race between the two superpowers; part of the reason that the Cold War never became a "hot" war was that the Soviet Union and the United States had nuclear deterrents against each other, leading to a mutually assured destruction standoff.

Goose step

Goose step

The goose step is a special marching step which is performed during formal military parades and other ceremonies. While marching in parade formation, troops swing their legs in unison off the ground while keeping each leg rigidly straight.

Frederick the Great

Frederick the Great

Frederick II was King in Prussia from 1740 until 1772, and King of Prussia from 1772 until his death in 1786. His most significant accomplishments include his military successes in the Silesian wars, his reorganisation of the Prussian Army, the First Partition of Poland, and his patronage of the arts and the Enlightenment. Frederick was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled King in Prussia, declaring himself King of Prussia after annexing Royal Prussia from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1772. Prussia greatly increased its territories and became a major military power in Europe under his rule. He became known as Frederick the Great and was nicknamed "Old Fritz".

Farewell of Slavianka

Farewell of Slavianka

"Farewell of Slavianka" is a Russian patriotic march, written by the composer Vasily Agapkin in honour of Slavic women accompanying their husbands in the First Balkan War. The march was written and premiered in Tambov in the end of 1912. In the summer of 1915, it was released as a gramophone single in Kiev. Slavianka means "Slavic woman".

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (March 2022)

In 2017, Ukraine's National Security Strategy foresaw that its National Security and Defense budget should be at least 5% of Ukraine's GDP.^[127]

On 21 December 2016, the Verkhovna Rada adopted its 2017 National Security and Defense budget worth $5.172 billion; that being 5% of Ukraine's GDP. In 2016 defense expenditures amounted to $4.4 billion, or 5% of the GDP.^[128][129] This (2016 figure) was a 23% increase from 2013 and a 65% increase from 2005.^[128] From the total, 60% was budgeted to be spent on defence and 40% on security and policing.^[128] 2016 also saw a 30% increase in weapons development spending.^[130]

In 2017, corruption, historically widespread in Ukraine, combined with small budgets left the military in such a depleted condition that their ability to confront the crisis in Crimea and the Donbas was minimal. All Ukrainian defence sector was heavily affected by the systemic corruption which is hindering its capacity to perform the tasks of national security. In addition, it undermined popular trust in the military as an institution. Despite great effort to resolve the issue there were signs that enough is not being done.^[131]

The Ukrainian government has launched major structural reforms of the army to meet NATO standards by 2020, but few believed that it could successfully meet a deadline. Most part of the problems remained intact, for example: lack of civilian and parliamentary control of the armed forces, lack of internal coordination between different departments, poor integration of volunteers into the regular army, impunity and abusive behavior of military personnel in the conflict zone and systemic corruption and opacity of financial resources, especially in the Ukroboronprom defense-industry monopoly.^[132]

In 2018 the military budget grew dramatically, to nearly 5% of GDP. Corruption remained a serious problem operating at all levels of Ukrainian society, and the lack of modern military organizational structure confounded efforts at reform.^[133] By 2022, some reforms had been made.^[134]

Budget per year

(Defense budget only, not "Security and Defense" combined)^[135][136]

• 2003: $1.01 Billion (UAH 5.06 billion @5.0 exchange rate)^[137]
• 2004: $1.29 Billion (UAH 6.46 billion @5.0 exchange rate)^[137]
• 2005: $1.23 Billion (UAH 6.16 billion @5.0 exchange rate)^[137]
• 2006: $1.47 Billion (UAH 7.35 billion @5.0 exchange rate)^[137]
• 2007: $2.12 Billion (UAH 10.6 billion @5.0 exchange rate)^[137]
• 2008: $1.78 Billion (UAH 8.926 billion @5.0 exchange rate)^[138]
• 2009: $0.93 Billion (UAH 7.4 billion @8.0 exchange rate)^[139]
• 2010: $1.63 Billion (UAH 13.1 billion @8.0 exchange rate)^[140]
• 2011: $1.82 Billion (UAH 14.6 billion @8.0 exchange rate)^[141]
• 2012: $2.05 Billion (UAH 16.4 billion @8.0 exchange rate)^[142]
• 2013: $1.88 Billion (UAH 15.3 billion @8.1 exchange rate)^[143]
• 2014: $1.37 Billion (UAH 15.1 billion @11.0 exchange rate)^[144]
• 2015: $1.91 Billion (UAH 40.2 billion @21.0 exchange rate)^[144]
• 2016: $2.11 Billion (UAH 56 billion)^[145]
• 2017: $2.65 Billion (UAH 69 billion)^[146]
• 2018: $3.20 Billion (UAH 83.3 billion)^[146]
• 2019: $4.08 Billion (UAH 102 billion)^[146]
• 2020: $5.2 billion (UAH 130 billion)^[147]
• 2021: $4.9 billion (UAH 121.7 billion)^[148]
• 2022: $8.3 billion^[149]
• 2023: $31.03 billion (UAH 1 141.1 billion)^[150][151]

"Security and Defense" combined budget apart from Department of Defense (Defense Ministry) for Armed Forces of Ukraine, also includes expenses for Police, Customs, and Border Control.

T-64 and Su-27 on Defender of Ukraine Day celebration, 14 October 2017

These are the military holidays observed by all service personnel the Ukrainian Armed Forces.^[152]

• 23 May – Naval Infantry Day
• 8 July – Air and Air Defence Forces Day
• First Sunday in July – Navy Day;^[153] From 1997 until 2011 this day was celebrated on August 1^[154][155]
• 8 August – Signal Corps Day
• 7 September – Military Intelligence Forces Day^[156]
• 9 September – Armoured Forces Day
• 14 September – Mobilized Servicemen Day
• 14 October – Defender of Ukraine Day^[157]
• 29 October – Finance Officers Day
• 3 November – Rocket Forces and Artillery Day
• 3 November – Corps of Engineers Day
• 21 November – Air Assault Forces Day^{[158][159][160]}
• 6 December – Armed Forces Day; festive fireworks and salutes take place in various cities in Ukraine^[161] The holiday was established in 1993 by the Verkhovna Rada.^[162]
• 12 December – Ground Forces Day
• 23 December – Operational Servicemen Day

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T-64

T-64

The T-64 is a Soviet tank manufactured in Kharkiv, and designed by the KhMDB. The tank was introduced in the early 1960s. It was a more advanced counterpart to the T-62: the T-64 served in tank divisions, while the T-62 supported infantry in motorized rifle divisions. It introduced a number of advanced features including composite armour, a compact engine and transmission, and a smoothbore 125-mm gun equipped with an autoloader to allow the crew to be reduced to three so the tank could be smaller and lighter. In spite of being armed and armoured like a heavy tank, the T-64 weighed only 38 tonnes.

Navy Day (Ukraine)

Navy Day (Ukraine)

Day of the Workers of the Ukrainian Navy is holiday in Ukraine. The holiday celebrates the founding of the Ukrainian Navy. Navy Day is a professional holiday that is celebrated on every first Sunday of July.

Rocket Forces and Artillery (Ukraine)

Rocket Forces and Artillery (Ukraine)

The Rocket Forces and Artillery of the Ukrainian Ground Forces consist of units armed with tactical missiles, howitzers, cannons, mortars, jet-propelled and anti-tank artillery. They are tasked to destroy human resources, tanks, artillery, anti-tank weapons, aircraft, air defense and other important installations operations.

Ukrainian Air Assault Forces

Ukrainian Air Assault Forces

The Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, known until 2017 as the Ukrainian Airmobile Forces, are the airborne forces of Ukraine. They formed in 1992 and were part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces until 2016, when they separated to become one of five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Air Assault Forces are in constant combat readiness and are the high-mobility branch of the military, responsible for air assaults and military parachuting operations. Before the Russo-Ukrainian War they were also the main forces sent by Ukraine to peacekeeping missions around the world. They are considered the elite of Ukraine's armed forces.

Armed Forces Day

Armed Forces Day

Many nations around the world observe some kind of Armed Forces Day to honor their military forces. This day is not to be confused with Veterans Day or Memorial Day.

Verkhovna Rada

Verkhovna Rada

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, often simply Verkhovna Rada or just Rada, is the unicameral parliament of Ukraine. The Verkhovna Rada is composed of 450 deputies, who are presided over by a chairman (speaker). The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovna Rada building in Ukraine's capital Kyiv. The deputies elected on 21 July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election were inaugurated on 29 August 2019.

Ukrainian Ground Forces

Ukrainian Ground Forces

The Ukrainian Ground Forces, also known as the Ukrainian army, are the land forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They were formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Ukrainian independence, and trace their ancestry to the 1917-22 army of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

Ukraine provides combat veterans with a range of benefits. Ukrainians who served in World War II, the Soviet–Afghan War, or as liquidators at the Chernobyl disaster are eligible for benefits such as monthly allowances, discounts on medical and pharmacy services, free use of public transportation, additional vacation days from work, retention priority in work layoffs, easier access to loans and associated approval processes, preference when applying for security related positions, priority when applying to vocational schools or trade schools, and electricity, gas, and housing subsidies. Veterans are also eligible to stay at military sanatoriums, space permitting. Since gaining independence, Ukraine has deployed troops to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, gaining a new generation of veterans separate from those who have served in the Soviet forces. Most recently, the government passed a law extending veteran benefits to Ukrainian troops responding to the war in Donbas. Moreover, veterans from other nations who move to or reside in Ukraine may be eligible for some of the listed benefits, this provision was likely made to ensure World War II, Chernobyl, and Afghanistan veterans from other Soviet states who moved to Ukraine received similar benefits, however as Ukraine has participated in numerous NATO-led conflicts since its independence, it is unclear if NATO veterans would be extended these benefits.^[163]

Veteran groups are not as developed as in the United States, which has numerous well known national organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars. World War II veterans, and even persons who have lived through the war are generally treated with the highest respect. Other veterans are not as well known. Ukrainian veterans from the Soviet–Afghan War are strikingly similar to the Vietnam War veterans of the United States. The Soviet Union generally kept the public in the dark through the war, and it has often been labeled as a mistake by the Soviet Union and its successor states. The lack of media coverage and censorship through the war also ensured that many still remain unaware of their nation's involvement in the conflict.^[164] Despite Ukraine having the third-largest contingent of troops in Iraq in 2004, few also realize that their nation has many veterans of the Iraq War.

Due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, another generation of veterans has appeared in Ukraine. These veterans would be eligible for the same benefits as all others. However, as there was no official declaration of war, it was difficult to determine the cut-off date for veteran benefits, leaving many that participated at the beginning of the conflict without benefits. At first, Ukraine only gave benefits posthumously to family members, as there was no legal framework to account for the veterans, moreover, members of territorial defense battalions were not eligible for benefits at all. In August, a law was passed granting all service members participating in the war in Donbas the status of veterans, five months after first hostilities broke out in Crimea, the territorial defense battalions were integrated into the National Guard making them part of Ukraine's forces, thus allowing their volunteers to receive veteran status.^[165][166]

Veterans of the war in Donbas are eligible for receiving apartments (if staying in active duty) or a land plot for building purposes of 1,000 sq. metres in the district of their registration.

On 22 November 2018, the Ministry for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine was officially established.^[167]

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Soviet–Afghan War

Soviet–Afghan War

The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union, the DRA and allied paramilitary groups against the Afghan mujahideen, foreign fighters, and smaller groups of anti-Soviet Maoists.

Chernobyl disaster

Chernobyl disaster

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nuclear energy accidents rated at seven—the maximum severity—on the International Nuclear Event Scale, the other being the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The initial emergency response, together with later decontamination of the environment, involved more than 500,000 personnel and cost an estimated 18 billion roubles—roughly US$68 billion in 2019, adjusted for inflation.

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Veterans of Foreign Wars

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of U.S. war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or airspace. The organization was established twice separately, once by James C. Putnam on September 29, 1899, in Columbus, Ohio. The VFW is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The organization was congressionally chartered in 1936 under the Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. The north was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist states, while the south was supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies. The war is widely considered to be a Cold War-era proxy war. It lasted almost 20 years, with direct U.S. involvement ending in 1973. The conflict also spilled over into neighboring states, exacerbating the Laotian Civil War and the Cambodian Civil War, which ended with all three countries becoming communist states by 1975.

Iraq War

Iraq War

The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 that began with the invasion of Iraq by the United States-led coalition that overthrew the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the next decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the coalition forces and the post-invasion Iraqi government. US troops were officially withdrawn in 2011. The United States became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, and the insurgency and many dimensions of the armed conflict are ongoing. The invasion occurred as part of the George W. Bush administration's war on terror following the September 11 attacks, despite no connection between Iraq and the attacks.

Ukraine received about 30% of the Soviet military industry, which included between 50 and 60 percent of all Ukrainian enterprises, employing 40% of its working population. Ukraine was a leader in missile-related technology,^[168] navigation electronics for combat vessels and submarines, guidance systems, and radar for military jets, heavy armoured vehicles.

The military-technical policy in the field of development and modernization of weapons and military equipment provides the Central Scientific Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.^[169]

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Defense industry of Ukraine

Defense industry of Ukraine

The defense industry of Ukraine is a strategically important sector and a large employer in Ukraine. After working for several decades mostly for the arms export markets, in 2014 it has moved significantly into increased Ukrainian military procurement since the start of the war in Donbas.

Company

Company

A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared goals. Companies take various forms, such as:voluntary associations, which may include nonprofit organizations business entities, whose aim is generating profit financial entities and banks programs or educational institutions

Missile

Missile

In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor.It is used for precise targeting. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets. Missiles have five system components: targeting, guidance system, flight system, engine and warhead. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes: surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, and anti-satellite weapons.

Navigation

Navigation

Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, marine navigation, aeronautic navigation, and space navigation.

Submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely operated vehicles and robots, as well as medium-sized or smaller vessels, such as the midget submarine and the wet sub. Submarines are referred to as boats rather than ships irrespective of their size.

Guidance system

Guidance system

A guidance system is a virtual or physical device, or a group of devices implementing a controlling the movement of a ship, aircraft, missile, rocket, satellite, or any other moving object. Guidance is the process of calculating the changes in position, velocity, altitude, and/or rotation rates of a moving object required to follow a certain trajectory and/or altitude profile based on information about the object's state of motion.

Radar

Radar

Radar is a radiolocation system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (ranging), angle (azimuth), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is used to detect and track aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, and motor vehicles, and map weather formations, and terrain. A radar system consists of a transmitter producing electromagnetic waves in the radio or microwaves domain, a transmitting antenna, a receiving antenna and a receiver and processor to determine properties of the objects. Radio waves from the transmitter reflect off the objects and return to the receiver, giving information about the objects' locations and speeds.

Jet aircraft

Jet aircraft

A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines.

Central Scientific Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Central Scientific Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Central Scientific Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a research institution of the State-Customer of weapons and military equipment and carries out its activities conducting fundamental, exploratory and applied researchers.