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Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
Special Operations Forces
Сили спеціальних операцій, ССО ЗСУ
Emblem of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces.svg
Emblem of the Special Operations Forces
Founded5 January 2016; 7 years ago (2016-01-05)[1][2]
Country Ukraine
TypeSpecial forces
RoleSpecial operations
Counter-terrorism
Direct action
Special reconnaissance
Intelligence gathering
Psychological warfare
Size1,000[3]–2,000[4][5] (2022)
Part ofArmed Forces of Ukraine
Garrison/HQKyiv, Ukraine
Motto(s)Ukrainian: Іду на ви!, romanized: Idu na vy!
(I Come At You!)
Color of beret  Steel Grey
Anniversaries29 July[6]
Engagements
Websitesof.mil.gov.ua
Commanders
Current
commander		Viktor Khorenko [uk]
Insignia
Flag
Flag of the Special Operations Forces of Ukraine.svg
Shoulder sleeve insigniaНЗ ССО.svg
Cap badgeБЗ ССО.png
Armed Forces of Ukraine
Emblem of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.svg
Main branches
Other corps
Related services
Intelligence
History of the Ukrainian Military

The Special Operations Forces (Ukrainian: Си́ли спеціа́льних опера́цій Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, abbreviated ССО, SSO) are the special forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with headquarters in Kyiv.

The SSO has the roles including various special forces-related duties such as direct action, special reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, sabotage and psychological warfare. They are not the only special forces units in Ukraine. The SSO was created in 2016, after various reforms of the Ukrainian Armed Forces due to failures in the war in Donbas, and the Ukrainian special forces groups were trained on the model of NATO reaction forces.[7][8] Reorganizing by concentrating the special forces command into a single unified branch.[9] Previously, military Spetsnaz were under the command of the Chief Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), Ukraine's military intelligence service.

Discover more about Special Operations Forces (Ukraine) related topics

Special forces

Special forces

Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment".

Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately 600,000 square kilometres (230,000 sq mi). Prior to the ongoing Russian invasion, it was the eighth-most populous country in Europe, with a population of around 41 million people. On 1 January 2023, the United Nations estimated the Ukrainian population to be 34.1 million, with record low birth rates. It is also bordered by Belarus to the north; by Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and by Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city. Ukraine's state language is Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the east and south.

Military branch

Military branch

Military branch is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state.

Armed Forces of Ukraine

Armed Forces of Ukraine

The Armed Forces of Ukraine, most commonly known in Ukraine as ZSU or anglicized as AFU, are the military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the President of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rada parliamentary commission. They trace their lineage to 1917, while the modern armed forces were formed after Ukrainian independence in 1991.

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.

Direct action

Direct action

Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to others, by, for example, revealing an existing problem, highlighting an alternative, or demonstrating a possible solution.

Special reconnaissance

Special reconnaissance

Special reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units, such as a recon team, made up of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units and/or military intelligence organizations. Special reconnaissance teams operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detection by the enemy. As a role, SR is distinct from commando operations, but both are often carried out by the same units. The SR role frequently includes covert direction of airstrikes and indirect fires, in areas deep behind enemy lines, placement of remotely monitored sensors, and preparations for other special forces. Like other special forces, SR units may also carry out direct action and unconventional warfare, including guerrilla operations.

Sabotage

Sabotage

Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a saboteur. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identities because of the consequences of their actions and to avoid invoking legal and organizational requirements for addressing sabotage.

Psychological warfare

Psychological warfare

Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Minds", and propaganda. The term is used "to denote any action which is practiced mainly by psychological methods with the aim of evoking a planned psychological reaction in other people".

Special forces of Ukraine

Special forces of Ukraine

The special forces of Ukraine are the special forces units of Ukraine. Like all post-Soviet states, Ukraine inherited its special forces (Spetsnaz) units from the remnants of the Soviet armed forces, GRU and KGB units. Ukraine now maintains its own Spetsnaz structure under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and under the Ministry of Defence, while the Security Service of Ukraine maintains its own Spetsnaz force, the Alpha group. In 2016 the Special Operations Forces were created as an independent branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine formed only by special forces units.

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.

Military intelligence

Military intelligence

Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a range of sources, directed towards the commanders' mission requirements or responding to questions as part of operational or campaign planning. To provide an analysis, the commander's information requirements are first identified, which are then incorporated into intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination.

History

The branch was formed based on military units of the Ukrainian Chief Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), the military intelligence service, which were originally formed of the Soviet GRU Spetsnaz, based in Ukraine (then Ukrainian SSR). They were special forces units under the command of the Soviet military intelligence service GRU; the Ukrainians adopted a similar model, placing their top special forces unit under the HUR.

In 2014, Special Forces Command numbered over 4,000 spetsnaz operatives, all of whom are professional soldiers.[10][11][12][13]

War in Donbas

Main article: War in Donbas (2014–2022)
Troops of the 8th Spetsnaz Regiment in Donbas, March 2015
Troops of the 8th Spetsnaz Regiment in Donbas, March 2015

At the beginning of the Crimea Crisis and the war in Donbas Ukraine's parliament stated that their forces only had 6,000 combat ready infantrymen, this compared with approximately 20,000 troops stationed at Russian bases in Crimea alone. At the time Ukraine also had a sizable number of units deployed across the world as part of missions such as Operation Atalanta, ISAF, Kosovo Force, and over 200 troops attached to a UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo.[14]

This meant that Ukraine's most experienced and well trained troops were deployed and unavailable at the start of the conflict. Ukrainian government immediately began a process of mobilization and the creation of reserve forces such as the National Guard of Ukraine, however it would be several months until these units would be trained. Therefore, Ukraine's depleted Spetsnaz forces, without the aid of a larger conventional force, or an effective local police force, were called to defend the state. According to Ukraine's Minister of Defense Stepan Poltorak, Spetsnaz forces operated largely alone during the first period of the war in Ukraine's Donbas region as they were the only units fit for duty at the time.[15][16]

A group of heavily armed men appeared in Donetsk on 3 March 2014. These were mistakenly identified at first as Russian Spetsnaz operatives invading Ukraine by some, or American "Blackwater" mercenaries by others. However, it was revealed that it was actually members of Ukraine's Alpha Group escorting Andrey Shishatskiy, the ex-governor of Donetsk, after he was attacked by a group of pro-Russian separatists or Russian Spetsnaz. Several months later Mariupol was declared the administrative center of Donetsk oblasts due to unrest, and most administrative functions were transferred there.[17]

Despite having lost many members, Ukrainian Spetsnaz was called to service in April 2014 once Russian insurgents began to advance into Ukraine. One of the first large scale missions was to retake the Kramatorsk airfield as a pivot point to put pressure on Donetsk, which had largely been taken over by insurgents. On 15 April, Spetsnaz unit Omega stormed the airfield retaking it and capturing an undisclosed number of pro-Russian insurgents in the process.[18] Kramatorsk airfield was the scene of prolonged fighting even after its recapture. On 25 April insurgents launched a failed attempt to retake the airfield destroying a Mil Mi-8 helicopter and an An-2 transport. The airfield was surrounded by insurgents for several months until the liberation of Kramatorsk from insurgents in July 2014.

On April 25, 2014, Ukraine's Spetsnaz units were some of the first units to encounter insurgents in Sloviansk, which was to become a rebel stronghold. Ukrainian Spetsnaz units began to systematically destroy rebel checkpoints around the city in April so that regular forces could break through into the city, however it would be several more months until the main components of the Ground Forces of Ukraine were able to break through into the city.[19]

8th Spetsnaz Regiment soldiers during an exercise
8th Spetsnaz Regiment soldiers during an exercise
SSO operators with AKS74us
SSO operators with AKS74us

On 26 May 2014 Russian insurgents launched an attack taking Donetsk Airport, the nation's second busiest airport at the time. For the first time in the conflict Ukrainian forces responded almost immediately instead of waiting several days by launching airstrikes from Su-25 aircraft and launching Mi-24 gunships to suppress the attackers. Spetsnaz forces as well as airborne troops were airlifted to the scene to battle the insurgents for the airport starting the First Battle of Donetsk Airport. With the help of air support government forces drove out insurgents by the next day and took control of the airport. This was the first successful operation in the war in Donbas, as prior to this insurgent forces were accustomed to quick victories and government forces typically took several days to respond to attacks. After the battle many foreigners including Chechen terrorists were revealed to have fought against Ukrainian forces.[20]

In May and June 2014 Special Forces units were involved in aiding regular army and National Guard Units in the First Battle of Mariupol. By this time Russian separatists had captured most of Donetsk Oblast as far north as Yampil', although government troops retained control of key points such as Kramatorsk and Donetsk airfields. Insurgents then spread south toward Mariupol, the second largest city in the Donbas. On April 17, 2014, a large group of several hundred separatists attempted to storm a military base in Mariupol.[21]

The Ukrainian military counterattacked and an Omega special forces unit was air lifted unto the scene to help local troops drive back the attackers. During the failed assault 63 separatists were captured and three killed. The Omega special forces group was then tasked with protecting Mariupol for the remainder of the First Battle of Mariupol.[21]

On 9 May separatists stormed the city police headquarters. Omega and National Guard Units attempted to recapture the building but Ukrainian forces eventually retreated outside the city and cordoned off the city limits with check points. On 13 June Omega special forces, along with National Guard units, Azov Battalion and Dnipro Battalion stormed the city. In the ensuing 6 hour battle government troops recaptured all buildings from separatists and hoisted the Ukrainian flag over the city hall.[22]

Ukraine's special forces have also carried out several operations deep into rebel held territory, operating in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.[23]

Spetsnaz forces have also been responsible for locating and neutralizing terrorist cells operating deep inside of Ukraine, clearing cities that had been recaptured from insurgents, as well as searching for potential saboteurs. In May, the SBU raided and arrested several potential saboteurs in the Odessa region.[24][25]

The Ukrainian Naval Infantry maintains its own small Spetsnaz force in the form of the 73rd marine Spetsnaz detachment. The detachment is named "Seals" after the United States Navy SEALs and is tasked around the same purpose.[26] In August 2014 the commander of the 73rd marine Spetsnaz detachment was killed in an operation near Donetsk, Ukraine. Major Alexei Zinchenko was the first loss for the 73rd marine Spetsnaz detachment as well as the first marine killed in the war in Donbas.[27]

While forces from the Ministry of Interior are often involved in locating spies and saboteurs, the Spetsnaz units of the Ministry of Defense have been more directly involved in the war. Perhaps the most well known are the Spetsnaz units responsible for defending Donetsk International Airport. The Airport was raided on April 18, but maintained operations until May 25, 2014, after which it faced nearly daily attacks. Ukrainian forces have earned the nickname "Cyborgs". Rebels have on multiple occasions stated that they have captured the airport, however the flag of Ukraine has been flying over the dispatch tower, suggesting the airport was actually not captured. The airport's garrison has been able to withstand attacks by Russian T-72 tanks, Grad and Uragan rocket artillery, as well as 2S4 Tyulpan heavy mortars without any air support. By September, Russian Spetsnaz forces began to actively aid the rebels in assaulting the airport, however, they only managed to advance 500 meters closer to the complex by the end of the month.[28]

On 22 November 2014 Spetsnaz groups Cheetah and Titan stormed the Odessa oil refinery. There were no injuries during the operation. A statement from the prosecutor's office of the Odessa Oblast stated that Spetsnaz forces were used to secure the refinery's assets. In April a Ukrainian court ruled that the refinery's assets were to be liquidated, however it was suspected management was trying to profit by illegally selling ₴55 million worth of assets without court approval. Prosecutors attempted to enter the refinery on 17 October 2014 to enforce a court decision to confiscate the refinery's assets but were stopped by security, therefore the decision to use Spetsnaz forces to secure the premises and carry out the previous court order was made by the prosecutor's office.[29]

On 10 August 2016 Russia accused the Special Forces of Ukraine of conducting a raid near the Crimea town of Armyansk which killed 2 Russian servicemen; the government of Ukraine denied any involvement. Ukrainian intelligence services reported that there was indeed a border clash, but stated it was a friendly fire incident between the Russian military and the border service of Russia's Federal Security Service.[30][31]

Independent formation

SSO operators during exercises
SSO operators during exercises

On 5 January 2016, the special forces of Ukraine were placed under a single independent military branch, the Special Operations Forces.[1] The catchphrase of Svyatoslav the Brave, "I Come at You!" (Ukrainian: Іду на ви!), was officially adopted as the organization's motto.[32]

In June 2019, the 140th Special Operations Centre was certified as a special ops unit that can be involved in the NATO Response Force, the first from a non-NATO-member state.[8][33]

As of 1 January 2022, the number of the Special Operations Forces had increased by 1,000.[34]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Special Forces wing made of foreign fighters was initiated by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's intelligence directorate (GUR). This regiment is separate from the regular international legion but recruits from the force.[35]

Casualties

Overall, the special forces community of Ukraine lost 73 of its members during the war as of 28 October 2017. The breakdown of casualties is as follows:[36]

  • 3rd Special Purpose Regiment – 44 killed in action
  • 8th Special Purpose Regiment – 14 killed in action
  • 73rd Naval Special Purpose Center – 10 killed in action
  • 140th Special Purpose Center – 5 killed in action

Discover more about History related topics

Military intelligence

Military intelligence

Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a range of sources, directed towards the commanders' mission requirements or responding to questions as part of operational or campaign planning. To provide an analysis, the commander's information requirements are first identified, which are then incorporated into intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination.

Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country spanning most of northern Eurasia that existed from 30 December 1922 to 26 December 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national republics; in practice, both its government and its economy were highly centralized until its final years. It was a one-party state governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, with the city of Moscow serving as its capital as well as that of its largest and most populous republic: the Russian SFSR. Other major cities included Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Tashkent, Alma-Ata, and Novosibirsk. It was the largest country in the world, covering over 22,402,200 square kilometres (8,649,500 sq mi) and spanning eleven time zones.

Spetsnaz GRU

Spetsnaz GRU

Spetsnaz GRU or Spetsnaz G.U. (formally known as Special Forces of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces is the special forces of the G.U., the foreign military-intelligence agency of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately 600,000 square kilometres (230,000 sq mi). Prior to the ongoing Russian invasion, it was the eighth-most populous country in Europe, with a population of around 41 million people. On 1 January 2023, the United Nations estimated the Ukrainian population to be 34.1 million, with record low birth rates. It is also bordered by Belarus to the north; by Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; and by Romania and Moldova to the southwest; with a coastline along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the south and southeast. Kyiv is the nation's capital and largest city. Ukraine's state language is Ukrainian; Russian is also widely spoken, especially in the east and south.

GRU (Soviet Union)

GRU (Soviet Union)

Main Intelligence Directorate, abbreviated GRU, was the foreign military intelligence agency of the Soviet Army General Staff of the Soviet Union until 1991. For a few months it was also the foreign military intelligence agency of the newly established Russian Federation until 7 May 1992 when it was dissolved and the Russian GRU took over its activities.

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula, taking it from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War.

Crimea

Crimea

Crimea is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukraine. To the east, the Crimean Bridge, constructed in 2018, spans the Strait of Kerch, linking the peninsula with Krasnodar Krai in Russia. The Arabat Spit, located to the northeast, is a narrow strip of land that separates the Syvash lagoons from the Sea of Azov. Across the Black Sea to the west lies Romania and to the south is Turkey. The largest city is Sevastopol. The region has a population of 2.4 million, and has been under Russian occupation since 2014.

Operation Atalanta

Operation Atalanta

Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force Somalia, is a current counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean, that is the first naval operation conducted by the European Union (EU). The operational headquarters is currently located at the Spanish Operation Headquarters (ESOHQ) at Naval Station Rota in Spain, having moved from London as a result of the British withdrawal from the EU.

Kosovo Force

Kosovo Force

The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Its operations are gradually reducing until Kosovo's Security Force, established in 2009, becomes self sufficient.

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.

Stepan Poltorak

Stepan Poltorak

Stepan Tymofiyovych Poltorak is a Ukrainian general who served as the Minister of Defence of Ukraine from 14 October 2014 until 29 August 2019. Previously he was the commander of the Internal Troops of Ukraine and National Guard of Ukraine. Poltorak's rank was General of the army of Ukraine. From 1 January 2019, Poltorak remained the country's defense minister as a civilian, after resigning from military service in October 2018. Poltorak resigned at the request of newly inaugurated president Volodymyr Zelensky on 20 May 2019.

Spetsnaz

Spetsnaz

Spetsnaz are special forces in numerous post-Soviet states. Historically, this term referred to the Soviet Union's Spetsnaz GRU, special operations units of the GRU, the main military intelligence service. It also describes task forces of other ministries in post-Soviet countries.

Structure

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

Command and combat support units

  • 99th Command and Support Battalion (MU А3628) - Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 142nd Education and Training Center [uk] - Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast

Land warfare special purpose units

Seaborne special purpose units:

Aviation special purpose units:

Discover more about Structure related topics

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.

Berdychiv

Berdychiv

Berdychiv is a historic city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Berdychiv Raion (district), the city itself is of direct oblast subordinance, and does not belong to the district. It is 44 km (27 mi) south of the oblast capital, Zhytomyr. Its population is approximately 73,046 .

Kropyvnytskyi

Kropyvnytskyi

Kropyvnytskyi is a city in central Ukraine, situated on the Inhul River. It is the administrative center of Kirovohrad Oblast. Population: 219,676.

Kirovohrad Oblast

Kirovohrad Oblast

Kirovohrad Oblast, also known as Kirovohradschyna, is an oblast (province) in central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Kropyvnytskyi. Its population is 903,712. It is Ukraine's second least populated oblast, behind Chernivtsi.

Iziaslav II of Kiev

Iziaslav II of Kiev

Iziaslav II Mstislavich, was the second son of Mstislav Vladimirovich and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden. He was baptized as Panteleimon. Iziaslav is considered to be progenitor of the Monomakhovychi Volhynian branch.

Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Khmelnytskyi is a city in western Ukraine. Located on the Southern Bug, it serves as the administrative centre of Khmelnytskyi Oblast as well as Khmelnytskyi Raion within the oblast. With a population of 274,452, Khmelnytskyi is the second largest city in the region of Podolia after Vinnytsia.

Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Khmelnytskyi Oblast, also known as Khmelnychchyna (Хмельни́ччина), is an oblast (province) in western Ukraine covering portions of the historical regions of western Podolia and southern Volhynia. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Khmelnytskyi.

Kish otaman

Kish otaman

Kish otaman was a chief officer of the Kish of the Zaporozhian Host in the 16th through 18th centuries.

Antin Holovaty

Antin Holovaty

Antin Holovaty or Anton Golovaty ; between 1732 and 1744 – January 28, 1797 was a prominent Zaporozhian Cossack leader who after the Zaporozhian Sich's destruction was a key figure in the formation of the Black Sea Cossack Host and their later resettlement to the Kuban Region of Russia.

Frogman

Frogman

A frogman is someone who is trained in scuba diving or swimming underwater in a tactical capacity that includes military, and in some European countries, police work. Such personnel are also known by the more formal names of combat diver, combatant diver, or combat swimmer. The word frogman first arose in the stage name The Fearless Frogman of Paul Boyton in the 1870s and later was claimed by John Spence, an enlisted member of the U.S. Navy and member of the OSS Maritime Unit, to have been applied to him while he was training in a green waterproof suit.

Clearance diver

Clearance diver

A clearance diver was originally a specialist naval diver who used explosives underwater to remove obstructions to make harbours and shipping channels safe to navigate, but the term "clearance diver" was later used to include other naval underwater work. Units of clearance divers were first formed during and after World War II to clear ports and harbours in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe of unexploded ordnance and shipwrecks and booby traps laid by the Germans.

Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport

Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport

Vinnytsia International Airport was an airport located near the village of Havryshivka, serving the city of Vinnytsia in the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine.

Commanders

Source: "Special Operations Forces (Ukraine)", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 16th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_Forces_(Ukraine).

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Further Reading

Luhansk Oblast

Yasynuvata

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

79th Air Assault Brigade (Ukraine)

Spetsnaz GRU

2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine

National Guard of Ukraine

Russian people's militias in Ukraine

War in Donbas (2014–2022)

Battle of Mariupol (2014)

Armed Forces of Ukraine

Donbas Battalion

Special forces of Ukraine

Sparta Battalion

Ukrainian Volunteer Corps

Shyrokyne standoff

Alpha Group (Ukraine)

Timeline of the war in Donbas (2014)
See also
References
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