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Ukrainian Ground Forces

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Ukrainian Ground Forces
Сухопутні війська Збройних сил України
Emblem of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.svg
Emblem of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, containing the tryzub and cossack cross
Active1917–1922, 1991–present
Country Ukraine
TypeArmy
RoleGround warfare
Size~198,000 (2022)[1]
Part of Ukrainian Armed Forces
HeadquartersKyiv, Ukraine
AnniversariesArmy Day
(6 December)[2]
Engagements
Commanders
CommanderLieutenant General Oleksandr Syrskyi
Insignia
EnsignEnsign of Ukrainian Ground Forces
Cap badgeБЗ СВ.svg
Shoulder sleeve insigniaНЗ СВ.svg

The Ukrainian Ground Forces (Ukrainian: Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), 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.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine retained its Soviet-era army equipment. The Armed Forces were systematically downsized after 1991 and as a result, it was largely dilapidated by July 2014.[3] Since the start of the war in Donbas in April 2014 in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine embarked on a program to enlarge and modernize its Armed Forces.[3][4][5] Its size of 129,950 in March 2014[6] had grown to 204,000 active personnel in May 2015,[7] with the Ground Forces branch having 169,000 soldiers as of 2016.[8] In 2016, 75% of the army consisted of contract servicemen.[9] Ukraine's ground forces have also received more modern tanks, APCs, and many other types of combat equipment.[10]

Discover more about Ukrainian Ground Forces related topics

Ukrainian language

Ukrainian language

Ukrainian is an East Slavic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken primarily in Ukraine. It is the native language of the Ukrainians.

Army

Army

An army, ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by possessing an army aviation component. Within a national military force, the word army may also mean a field army.

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.

Soviet Army

Soviet Army

The Soviet Army or Soviet Ground Forces was the main land warfare uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992.

Declaration of Independence of Ukraine

Declaration of Independence of Ukraine

The Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine was adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR on 24 August 1991. The Act reestablished Ukraine's state independence.

Ukrainian People's Republic

Ukrainian People's Republic

The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR), or Ukrainian National Republic (UNR), was a country in Eastern Europe that existed between the years 1917 and 1920. The country was first declared following the February Revolution in Russia, by a state political act called the First Universal of the Ukrainian Central Council. In March 1917, the National Congress in Kyiv elected the Central Council of Ukraine, which had been composed of socialist parties that held the same principles as the Russian Republic. The republic's autonomy was recognized by the Russian Provisional Government. Following the October Revolution, the Ukrainian People's Republic proclaimed its independence from the Russian Republic, on 22 January 1918, by the Fourth Universal.

Dissolution of the Soviet Union

Dissolution of the Soviet Union

The dissolution of the Soviet Union was the process of internal disintegration within the Soviet Union (USSR) which resulted in the end of the country's and its federal government's existence as a sovereign state, thereby resulting in its constituent republics gaining full independence on 26 December 1991. It brought an end to General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev's effort to reform the Soviet political and economic system in an attempt to stop a period of political stalemate and economic backslide. The Soviet Union had experienced internal stagnation and ethnic separatism. Although highly centralized until its final years, the country was made up of 15 top-level republics that served as homelands for different ethnicities. By late 1991, amid a catastrophic political crisis, with several republics already departing the Union and the waning of centralized power, the leaders of three of its founding members declared that the Soviet Union no longer existed. Eight more republics joined their declaration shortly thereafter. Gorbachev resigned in December 1991 and what was left of the Soviet parliament voted to end itself.

War in Donbas (2014–2022)

War in Donbas (2014–2022)

The war in Donbas, or Donbas war, was an armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine, part of the broader Russo-Ukrainian War.

Eastern Ukraine

Eastern Ukraine

Eastern Ukraine or east Ukraine is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro river, particularly Kharkiv, Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts (provinces). Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are often also regarded as "eastern Ukraine". In regard to traditional territories, the area encompasses portions of the southern Sloboda Ukraine, Donbas, the eastern Azov Littoral (Pryazovia).

History

Today's Ukrainian Army traces its ancestry to the Ukrainian People's Army of 1917-21. It fought in the Ukrainian War of Independence (the Ukrainian-Soviet War), the Southern Front of the Russian Civil War, the Polish–Ukrainian War, and the Polish-Soviet War.


Collapse of the USSR

Ukrainian soldiers on a military exercise in 1998
Ukrainian soldiers on a military exercise in 1998

Upon their establishment in 1991, the Armed Forces of Ukraine included approximately 780,000 personnel,[11] 7,000 armored vehicles, 6,500 tanks, and 2,500 tactical nuclear missiles. A problem that Ukraine faced was that while it had vast armed forces, it lacked a proper command structure. On 24 August 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified a resolution taking control of all military units of the former Soviet Armed Forces situated on the territory of Ukraine. This established the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Army Soldier in Iraq, 2003
Ukrainian Army Soldier in Iraq, 2003

Creation of the Ground Forces

Following the declaration of Ukrainian independence in 1991, Ukraine inherited the 1st Guards Army, 13th Army, 38th Army, two tank armies (the 6th Guards Tank Army and the 8th Tank Army), and the 32nd Army Corps at Simferopol. The 28th Guards Motor Rifle Division and the 180th Rifle Division were left in Ukraine, having been previously under the 14th Guards Army headquartered at Tiraspol in the Moldovan SSR. The post of commander of ground troops was designated in early 1992. By the end of 1992, the Kyiv Military District disbanded, and Ukraine used its structures as the basis for the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff.[12]

Between June and August 1993, the first redesignation of armies to army corps appears to have taken place.[13] While the chief of ground forces post had been created in early 1992, it was over two years before the first holder, Colonel General Vasily Sobkov, was appointed on 7 April 1994.[14] The legal framework for the Ground Forces was defined in Article 4 of the law 'On the Armed Forces of Ukraine.' At that time, the Ground Forces had no separate command body, and were directly subordinate to the Ukrainian General Staff.

The creation of the Ground Forces as a separate armed service was enacted by Presidential Decree 368/96 of 23 May 1996, 'On the Ground Forces of Ukraine.'[15] That year both the Ground Forces Command was formed and the 1st Army Corps was reorganised as the Northern Territorial Operational Command (which became the Northern Operational Command in 1998). In 1997 the Carpathian Military District was reorganised as the Western Operational Command.

Ukrainian and U.S Army soldiers talk during the 2011 Rapid Trident exercise.
Ukrainian and U.S Army soldiers talk during the 2011 Rapid Trident exercise.

From 1992 to 1997, the forces of the Kyiv MD were transferred to the Odesa MD, and the Odesa MD's headquarters moved to Donetsk.[16] A new 2nd Army Corps was formed in the Odesa MD. Armies were converted to army corps, and motor rifle divisions converted into mechanised divisions or brigades. Pairs of attack helicopter regiments were combined to form army aviation brigades.

President Leonid Kuchma revealed in a December 1996 speech that as many as 191 mechanised infantry and tank battalions were rated not ready, adding,"This is especially dangerous in the forward-based units securing the nation's borders."[17]

Reform

Under a plan promulgated in 2000 the Ground Forces were to reduce the number of troops from the then 300,000 to 240,000 by 2015, and an ultimate change from a partial conscript-based force to a fully professional military.[18] The Armed Forces received little more than half of the Hr 68 million it was promised for reform in 2001, but managed to disband nine regiments and close 21 local military bases.[nb 1]

In 2005–06, the Northern Operational Command was reorganised as Territorial Directorate "North". It was tasked with territorial defence, mobilisation training, and preparation of reserves.[19][nb 2]

From 1991 the Ukrainian Ground Forces bought its military equipment only from Russia and other CIS states, as well as locally producing some of their own equipment.[3][4] Until 2014 and the start of the war in Donbas, the defence industry in Ukraine produced equipment mostly for export.[21][3]

Ukrainian Ground Forces in 2013, before the Crimean crisis
Ukrainian Ground Forces in 2013, before the Crimean crisis

Russian occupation of Crimea

In the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution, Russian special forces in unmarked uniforms began surrounding Ukrainian military bases on the Crimean peninsula before capturing them individually using a mixture of attrition and threats.[22] Over the following weeks the Russian Armed Forces consolidated control of the peninsula and established road blocks to cut off the possibility of Ukraine sending reinforcements from the mainland.[23] The takeover of Crimea was largely bloodless, as the Ukrainian soldiers didn't retaliate.[24] By the end of March, all remaining Ukrainian troops were ordered to pull out of Crimea.[25]

The Ukrainian Army was considered to be in a poor state during and after the annexation, with only 6,000 of its troops ready for combat and many of its vehicles lacking batteries.[26] After Russia's annexation only 6,000 of the 20,300 Ukrainian soldiers stationed in Crimea before the annexation left the peninsula. The rest stayed in Crimea and defected to Russia.[27][28]

Ukrainian soldiers during the War in Donbas
Ukrainian soldiers during the War in Donbas

Russo-Ukrainian War

War in Donbas (2014–2022)

In the early months of the war in Donbas that erupted in 2014 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.[29][30]

By February 2018 the Ukrainian armed forces were larger and better equipped, numbering 200,000 active-service military personnel. Most of the volunteer soldiers of the territorial defence battalions were integrated into the official Ukrainian army.[31]

Within the reporting period of 16 November 2017 to 15 February 2018 a United Nations OHCHR monitoring mission documented 115 cases of credible allegations of human rights abuses committed on both sides of the contact line.[32] The nature of the crimes ranges from enforced disappearances, looting of civilian property, torture, rape and sexual violence up to political repression and extrajudicial killings.[32]

Full-scale Russian invasion

On 24 February 2022, Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.[33] The Ground Forces have been participants of most of the land combat actions of the current war. The influx of Western materiel and supplies to the branch before and during the conflict as well as mobilization efforts have resulted in a massive expansion of the force, in addition to ongoing force modernization.

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Southern Front of the Russian Civil War

Southern Front of the Russian Civil War

The Southern Front of the Russian Civil War was a theatre of the Russian Civil War.

Polish–Ukrainian War

Polish–Ukrainian War

The Polish–Ukrainian War, from November 1918 to July 1919, was a conflict between the Second Polish Republic and Ukrainian forces. The conflict had its roots in ethnic, cultural and political differences between the Polish and Ukrainian populations living in the region, as Poland and both Ukrainian republics were successor states to the dissolved Russian and Austrian empires. The war started in Eastern Galicia after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and spilled over into Chełm Land and Volhynia (Wołyń) regions formerly belonging to the Russian Empire, which were both claimed by the Ukrainian State and the Ukrainian People's Republic. Poland re-occupied the disputed territory on 18 July 1919.

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery

St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery is a monastery in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, dedicated to Michael the Archangel. It is located on the edge of the bank of the Dnieper, northeast of the Saint Sophia Cathedral. The site is located in the historic administrative Uppertown and overlooks the city's historical commercial and merchant quarter, the Podil. The monastery has been the headquarters of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine since December 2018.

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.

Military exercise

Military exercise

A military exercise, training exercise, or war game is the employment of military resources in training for military operations. Military exercises are conducted to explore the effects of warfare or test tactics and strategies without actual combat. They also ensure the combat readiness of garrisoned or deployable forces prior to deployment from a home base.

Tactical nuclear weapon

Tactical nuclear weapon

A tactical nuclear weapon (TNW) or non-strategic nuclear weapon (NSNW) is a nuclear weapon that is designed to be used on a battlefield in military situations, mostly with friendly forces in proximity and perhaps even on contested friendly territory. Generally smaller in explosive power, they are defined in contrast to strategic nuclear weapons, which are designed mostly to be targeted at the enemy interior far away from the war front against military bases, cities, towns, arms industries, and other hardened or larger-area targets to damage the enemy's ability to wage war. As of 2023, no tactical nuclear weapon has ever been used in a combat situation.

Command hierarchy

Command hierarchy

A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part.

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.

1st Guards Army (Soviet Union)

1st Guards Army (Soviet Union)

The 1st Guards Army was a Soviet Guards field army that fought on the Eastern Front during World War II.

13th Army (Soviet Union)

13th Army (Soviet Union)

The 13th Army was a name given to several field armies of the Soviet Union's Red Army. Later armies existed until the 1990s, and the army survived as part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces for some years.

38th Army (Soviet Union)

38th Army (Soviet Union)

The 38th Red Banner Army was a field army of the Soviet Union that existed between 1941 and 1991.

6th Guards Tank Army

6th Guards Tank Army

The 6th Guards Order of Red Banner Tank Army was a tank army of the Soviet Union's Red Army, first formed in January 1944 as the 6th Tank Army, and disbanded in Ukraine in the 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. During its service in World War II, the army was commanded by Lieutenant General of Tank Troops Andrei Kravchenko.

Military training and education centers

Ukrainian special forces soldiers during an exercise
Ukrainian special forces soldiers during an exercise
A Ukrainian and Canadian soldier conversing with each other during the 2014 Rapid Trident exercise in Yavoriv, Ukraine
A Ukrainian and Canadian soldier conversing with each other during the 2014 Rapid Trident exercise in Yavoriv, Ukraine

Training in 2006 was aimed at developing mobility and combat readiness of the forces.[34] The Ukrainian armed forces took advantage of the opportunities provided by UN exercises and exercises where Ukraine and NATO nations and other partners participated.[34][35]

Training resulted in 6,000 combat-ready troops in the spring of 2014 of Ukraine's (then) 129,950 active military personnel.[26][36] In 2016 the Ukrainian army had more than 200,000 combat-ready soldiers of its 260,000 active personnel.[7][37]

In 2015 Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada established the Joint Multinational Training Group – Ukraine (JMTG-U) and they set up three new training sites, in Khmelnytskyi, Kamianets-Podilskyi, and Yavoriv.[37] The latter, known as the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security or the Yavoriv Combat Training Center, was hit by eight Russian missiles in March 2022.[38]

It appears that the SAS has left behind forces to train Ukrainian soldiers. At least two of the officers from the SAS were confirmed as having been in Ukraine. Each posted with a different battalion near Kyiv. There emphasis has been training Ukrainian soldiers how to use the Anglo-Swedish NLAW. Other soldiers have actually been trained in the UK, according to the article. It would appear that the training course is approximately two weeks long for each participant.[39]

This follows an earlier report of UK special forces being left behind in Ukraine. This includes the SAS, Special Boat Service and Special Reconnaissance Regiment. The other contributors appear to be unnamed special forces from Eastern European countries. These forces are training the Ukrainian military in sabotage, counter-insurgency and sniping.[40]

Education centers

In 2007 the system of exercise/training ranges was optimized, decreasing their number and providing a specialized role.[41]

Schooling occurs at:

Training ranges are at:

  • Uzhgorod Military Training Center
  • Storozhynets Military Training Center
  • Yavoriv Military Training Center
  • Rivne Military Training Center
  • Novohrad-Volynskyi Military Training Center
  • Zhytomyr Military Training
  • Soshnikovskyi Military Training Center
  • Maloye Ozero Military Training Center
  • Poltava Military Training Center
  • Chuhuiv Military Training Center
  • Chervona Polyana Military Training Center
  • Samarskyi Bor Military Training Center
  • Mykolaiv Military Training
  • Shyrokiy Lan Military Training Center
  • Bolhrad Military Training Center
  • Shirokyi Ovrag Military Training

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Ukraine–NATO relations

Ukraine–NATO relations

Relations between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) started in 1991. Ukraine applied to integrate with a NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) in 2008. Plans for NATO membership were shelved by Ukraine following the 2010 presidential election in which Viktor Yanukovych, who preferred to keep the country non-aligned, was elected President. Yanukovych fled Ukraine in February 2014 during the Revolution of Dignity. The interim Yatsenyuk Government initially said that it had no plans to join NATO. However, following the Russian annexation of Crimea and Russian military support for armed separatists in eastern Ukraine, the Second Yatsenyuk Government made joining NATO a priority. In February 2019, the Ukrainian parliament voted to amend the Constitution of Ukraine to state Ukraine's goal of NATO and European Union membership.

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.

Canada

Canada

Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its southern and western border with the United States is the world's longest binational land border. Canada's capital is Ottawa and its three largest metropolitan areas are Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver.

Kamianets-Podilskyi

Kamianets-Podilskyi

Kamianets-Podilskyi is a city on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi. Formerly the administrative center of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the city is now the administrative center of the Kamianets-Podilskyi district within the Khmelnytskyi province. It hosts the administration of Kamianets-Podilskyi urban hromada. Current population has been estimated as 96,896

Special Air Service

Special Air Service

The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling and in 1950, it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, direct action and covert reconnaissance. Much of the information about the SAS is highly classified, and the unit is not commented on by either the British government or the Ministry of Defence due to the secrecy and sensitivity of its operations.

NLAW

NLAW

The Saab Bofors Dynamics NLAW, also known as the MBT LAW or RB 57, is a fire-and-forget, lightweight shoulder-fired, and disposable (single-use) line of sight (LOS) missile system, designed for infantry use. The missile uses a soft-launch system and is guided by predicted line of sight (PLOS). It can carry out an overfly top attack (OTA) on an armoured vehicle, or a direct attack (DA) on structures and non-armoured vehicles.

Special Boat Service

Special Boat Service

The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Royal Navy formed special forces with several name changes—Special Boat Company was adopted in 1951 and re-designated as the Special Boat Squadron in 1974—until on 28 July 1987 when the unit was renamed as the Special Boat Service after assuming responsibility for maritime counter-terrorism. Most of the operations conducted by the SBS are highly classified, and are rarely commented on by the British government or the Ministry of Defence, owing to their sensitive nature.

Special Reconnaissance Regiment

Special Reconnaissance Regiment

The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is a special reconnaissance unit of the British Army. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF).

169th Training Centre (Ukraine)

169th Training Centre (Ukraine)

The 169th Training Centre is a division-sized training formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The Training Centre's main task is to prepare young professionals and personnel under contract to the Army Forces of Ukraine.

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.

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.

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.

Branches of the Ground Forces

Armoured and mechanised forces

A Ukrainian soldier in a KrAZ Spartan prepares to engage the opposition force during an air assault at Exercise Rapid Trident 16 July 3, 2016
A Ukrainian soldier in a KrAZ Spartan prepares to engage the opposition force during an air assault at Exercise Rapid Trident 16 July 3, 2016
A Ukrainian Army T-64BM during a training exercise
A Ukrainian Army T-64BM during a training exercise

Mechanised Infantry and armoured forces are the primary components of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Their primary objectives in case of war are capturing and holding targets, maintaining positions, defending against attack, penetrating enemy lines and defeating enemy forces.

The mechanised and armoured forces are equipped with a combination of Soviet-made (part of them modernized) and modern Ukrainian armored vehicles which includes T-80, T-64,[43] (T-64BV Model 2017, T-64BV), T-64BM "Bulat"[44] and T-72UA1 main battle tanks,[45][46][47] BTR-4, BTR-60, BTR-70 and BTR-80 wheeled armored personnel carriers and BMP-1, BMP-2 and BMD-2 infantry combat vehicles.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, a large number of the previous Soviet mechanised formations on Ukrainian soil have been disbanded – the IISS says totals have dropped from 14 divisions, in 1992, to two divisions, six brigades, and one independent regiment in 2008.[48] Today, all mechanised and armoured formations are called brigades.

Mountain and Jager Brigades

The Ukrainian Ground Forces also include two mountain infantry brigades and the newly formed 61st Jager brigade, reformed from the 61st Motorized Infantry in 2019.[49]

Mil Mi-24 of the Air Aviation
Mil Mi-24 of the Air Aviation

Army Aviation

Army Aviation provides reconnaissance, tactical fire support and air transport for the Ukrainian Ground Forces. As of 2017 Ukraine's army fields four Army Aviation brigades in an Army Aviation Command directly subordinated to the Ground Forces HQ:

The Army Aviation's maintenance facility is the 57th Aviation Base in Brody. The service's equipment includes: Mi-2, Mi-8, Mi-9, Mi-24 and Mi-26 helicopters.

Rocket Forces and Artillery

Army Air Defence

The Army Air Defence units are responsible for protecting troops against enemy air attacks anywhere on the battlefield, and while in combat. The Ukrainian Ground Forces army air defence branch is equipped with a variety of effective surface-to-air missile systems of division level and anti-aircraft missile and artillery complexes of regiment level. Regiment level units are characterized by their high rate of fire, vitality, maneuverability, and capability of action under all conditions of modern combat arms operations. Surface-to-air missile systems and complexes of division level are characterized by their long range and firepower and are equipped with surface-to-air missile complexes; S-300V, Osa, Buk, Buk-M1 and Tor. While anti-aircraft missile and artillery complexes that are of regiment level are equipped with the Tunguska-M1, Igla MANPADS system, Strela, and Shilka anti-aircraft missile systems.[50]

A Ukrainian S-300P launchers
A Ukrainian S-300P launchers

The army's only separate radar system, meaning it isn't a part of any anti-aircraft system, is the Ukrainian Kolchuga-M. It was designed sometime between the years 1993–1997, the system is said to be one of the most advanced passive sensors in the world, as it is claimed to be able to detect stealth aircraft.

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Mechanized Infantry (Ukraine)

Mechanized Infantry (Ukraine)

Mechanized Infantry Forces are the general basis and primary combat formations of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. They execute tasks of holding the occupied areas, lines and positions tasks of enemy's impacts repelling, of penetrating the enemy's defense lines, defeating the enemy forces, capturing the important areas, lines and objectives, and can operate in structure of marine and landing troops.

Armoured Forces (Ukraine)

Armoured Forces (Ukraine)

Armoured Troops are the corps in the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the main striking force of ground troops. They are used primarily in conjunction with mechanized forces in key areas and perform the following tasks:in defense - support of mechanized troops in repelling the enemy attack and developing counterattacks; in the attack - the application of powerful strokes to dissect enemy lines in greater depth, development of success, and defeat the enemy in counter-battles and battles.

Armoured warfare

Armoured warfare

Armoured warfare or armored warfare, is the use of armored fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war. The premise of armoured warfare rests on the ability of troops to penetrate conventional defensive lines through use of manoeuvre by armoured units.

BTR-4

BTR-4

The BTR-4 "Bucephalus" is an amphibious 8x8 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed in Ukraine by the Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau.

BTR-60

BTR-60

The BTR-60 is the first vehicle in a series of Soviet eight-wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs). It was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the BTR-152 and was seen in public for the first time in 1961. BTR stands for bronetransportyor.

BTR-70

BTR-70

The BTR-70 is an eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier originally developed by the Soviet Union during the late 1960s under the manufacturing code GAZ-4905. On August 21, 1972, it was accepted into Soviet service and would later be widely exported. Large quantities were also produced under license in Romania as the TAB-77.

BTR-80

BTR-80

The BTR-80 is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous vehicles, the BTR-60 and BTR-70, in the Soviet Army. It was first deployed during the Soviet–Afghan War.

BMP-1

BMP-1

The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle, in service 1966–present. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1, meaning "infantry fighting vehicle, 1st serial model". The BMP-1 was the first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) of the Soviet Union. It was called the M-1967, BMP and BMP-76PB by NATO before its correct designation was known.

BMP-2

BMP-2

The BMP-2 is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following on from the BMP-1 of the 1960s.

BMD-2

BMD-2

The BMD-2 is a Soviet airborne infantry fighting vehicle, introduced in 1985. It is a variant of BMD-1 with a new turret and some changes done to the hull. BMD stands for Boyevaya Mashina Desanta.

International Institute for Strategic Studies

International Institute for Strategic Studies

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is a British research institute or think tank in the area of international affairs. Since 1997, its headquarters have been at Arundel House in London.

Brigade

Brigade

A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.

Structure

The Donbas war caused a radical reform of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the general and the Ukrainian Ground Forces in particular. It built and expanded on the 2011 structure.[51] As of 2022 the structure is the following:[52]

Ground Forces Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Military Unit [MU] А0105), Kyiv.[53][54]

Senior command personnel:[55]

  • Commander of the Ground Forces: General/Lieutenant-General
  • Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces: Lieutenant-General/Major-General
  • Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces: Major-General
  • Commander of Territorial Defence Forces of the Ground Forces Command: Major-General
  • Commander of Logistics of the Ground Forces Command: Brigadier General
  • Chief Sergeant-Major of the Ground Forces: Command Master Sergeant
A Ukrainian three men anti-tank team moving on foot in a winter maneuver, carrying Stugna-P ATGM
A Ukrainian three men anti-tank team moving on foot in a winter maneuver, carrying Stugna-P ATGM

Formations and units directly subordinated to the Ground Forces Command:

Educational institutions

Training establishments units directly subordinated to the Ground Forces Command:[52]

  • National Academy of the Ground Forces 'Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi' - Lviv, Lviv Oblast
    • officer cadets training establishments:
      • Faculty of Combat Application of the Forces
      • Faculty of Combined Arms
      • Faculty of Missile Troops and Artillery
      • Faculty for Preparation of Combat (Operational) Support Specialists
    • NCO Personnel Military College
    • International Peacekeeping and Security Center (MU А4150)
    • Combat Training Center for Military Units
    • 184th Training Center (MU А2615) - Starichi village, Lviv Oblast
      • 355th Mechanized Training Regiment (MU А3211)
      • Tank Training Battalion
      • 356th Artillery Training Regiment (MU А3618)
        • School of Self-Propelled Artillery
        • School of Towed Artillery
        • School of Anti-Tank Artillery
        • Mortar School
      • 49th Intelligence Training Center (MU А4138)
      • Engineer Training Battalion
      • Imitation and Modelling Simulation Center
      • 138th Logistical Training Battalion (MU А2600)
      • School for Initial and Refresher Training of Fire-Fighting Specialists
      • other departments (інші підрозділи)
  • Odesa Military Academy - Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • Armoured Forces Military Institute 'Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine' - Military Faculty of the 'Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute' National Technical University
  • 169th Training Centre, Desna[53][54]

Operational Command West

The Operational Command West (MU А0796) is headquartered in Rivne and has an area of responsibility covering the Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi Oblasts.

A BMP-2 provides support by fire to infantry during an exercise.
A BMP-2 provides support by fire to infantry during an exercise.

Headquarters, Rivne[53][54]

Combat support units:

  • 7th Combat Command Group, Rivne, Rivne Oblast
  • 394th Security and Service Battalion, Rivne, Rivne Oblast
  • 224th Automobile Battalion, Rivne, Rivne Oblast
  • 55th Signals Regiment, Rivne, Rivne Oblast[53][54]
  • 346th Information and Telecommunications Nod
  • 146th Intelligence Command Center
  • Regional Center for Electronic Intelligence 'West'
  • 436th Electronic Warfare Nod
  • 201st Electronic Warfare Company
  • 111th NBC Surveillance and Analysis Station
  • 124th Joint Logistical Support Center
  • 146th Repair and Overhaul Regiment, Zolochiv
  • 182nd Material Supply Battalion
  • 233rd Combined Arms Training Range
  • 90th Base for Artillery Ammunitions
  • other specialised and logistical units
  • Military comissariates
  • Territorial centers for recruitment and social policy implementation

Combat units:

Territorial defence units:

Regional Directorate [of Territorial Defence] 'West', Rivne, Rivne Oblast

  • Information and Telecommunications Nod of Regional Directorate 'West', Rivne, Rivne Oblast
  • Security and Service Company of Regional Directorate 'West', Rivne, Rivne Oblast
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Volyn Oblast
    • 2nd Rifle Battalion
    • 100th 'Volyn' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7028)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Rivne Oblast
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Lviv Oblast
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Ternopil Oblast
    • 16th Rifle Battalion
    • 105th 'Ternopil' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7033)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Khmelnytsky Oblast
    • 19th Rifle Battalion
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Zakarpattia Oblast
    • 5th Rifle Battalion
    • 101st 'Zakarpattian' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7029)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
    • 7th Rifle Battalion
    • 102nd 'Ivano-Frankivsk' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7030)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Chernivtsi Oblast
    • 21st Rifle Battalion
    • 107th 'Chernivtsi' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7035)

Operational Command North

The Operational Command North (MU 4583) is headquartered in Chernihiv and has an area of responsibility covering the Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy, Cherkasy and Chernihiv Oblasts and the capital city of Kyiv.

Headquarters, Chernihiv[53][54]

Combat support units:

  • 9th Combat Command Group, Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
  • 134th Security and Service Battalion (MU А1624), Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
  • 226th Automobile Battalion (MU А2927), Berdychiv, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 5th Signal Regiment (MU А2995), Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
  • 367th Information and Telecommunications Nod (MU А2984), Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
  • 90th Intelligence Command Center
  • Regional ELINT Center 'North' (MU А2622), Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
    • 121st Maneuver ELINT Center (MU А1783), Chernihiv, Chernihiv Oblast
    • 122nd ELINT Center (MU А1993), Chuhuiv, Kharkiv Oblast
  • 20th Electronic Warfare Battalion (MU А1262), Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast [53][54]
  • 12th Operational Support [Engineer] Regiment (MU А3814), Novohrad-Volynskyi, Zhytomyr Oblast [53][54]
  • 107th NBC Surveillance and Analysis Station
  • 125th Topographic Unit
  • 229th Joint Logistical Support Center
  • 50th Repair and Overhaul Regiment (MU А1586), Huiva, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 181st Material Supply Battalion (MU A2925), Novohrad-Volynskyi, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • other specialised and logistical units
  • 1322nd Artillery Ammunitions Base
  • 242nd Combined Arms Training Range
  • Military comissariates (військові комісаріати)
  • Territorial centers for recruitment and social policy implementation

Combat units:

Territorial defence units: Regional Directorate [of Territorial Defence] 'North', Kyiv

  • Information and Telecommunications Nod of Regional Directorate 'North', Kyiv
  • Security and Service Company of Regional Directorate 'North', Kyiv
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the City of Kyiv
    • ? Rifle Battalion
    • 112th 'City of Kyiv' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7040)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Kyiv Oblast
    • 8th Rifle Battalion
    • 114th 'Kyiv Oblast' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7042)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Zhytomyr Oblast
    • 4th Rifle Battalion
    • 115th 'Zhytomyr' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7043)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Poltava Oblast
    • 13th Rifle Battalion
    • 116th 'Poltava' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7044)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Sumy Oblast
    • 15th Rifle Battalion
    • 117th 'Sumy' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7045)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Cherkasy Oblast
    • 20th Rifle Battalion
    • 118th 'Cherkasy' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7046)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Chernihiv Oblast
    • 22nd Rifle Battalion
    • 119th 'Chernihiv' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7047)

Operational Command South

The Operational Command South (MU 2393) is headquartered in Odesa and has an area of responsibility covering the Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kherson Oblasts.

Headquarters, Odesa[53][54]

Combat support units:

  • 10th Combat Command Group, Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 363rd Security and Service Battalion (MU А1785), Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 225th Automobile Battalion, Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 7th Signal Regiment (MU А3783), Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 64th Information and Telecommunications Nod (MU А1283), Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • 91st Intelligence Command Center (MU А2152)
  • Regional ELINT Center 'South' (MU А3438)
    • 78th ELINT Center (MU А2395)
    • 79th ELINT Center (MU А2412)
    • 82nd Manoeuver ELINT Center (MU А2444)
  • 23rd Electronic Warfare Company
  • 16th Operational Support [Engineer] Regiment
  • 108th NBC Surveillance and Analysis Station
  • 46th Joint Logistical Support Center
  • 31st Repair and Overhaul Regiment
  • 183rd Material Supply Battalion
  • 1513th Artillery Ammunitions Base
  • 235th Joint Forces for Preparation of Military Units and Sub-Units
  • 241st Combined Arms Training Range
  • other specialised and logistical units
  • Military comissariates
  • Territorial centers for recruitment and social policy implementation

Combat units:

Territorial defence units:

Regional Directorate [of Territorial Defence] 'South', Odesa, Odesa Oblast

  • Information and Telecommunications Nod of Regional Directorate 'South', Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • Security and Service Company of Regional Directorate 'South', Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Vinnytsia Oblast
    • 1st Rifle Battalion
    • 120th 'Vinnytsia' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7048)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Kirovohrad Oblast
    • 9th Rifle Battalion
    • 121st 'Kirovohrad' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7049)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Odesa Oblast
    • 12th Rifle Battalion
    • 122nd 'Odesa' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7051)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Mykolaiv Oblast
    • 11th Rifle Battalion
    • 123rd 'Mykolaiv' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7052)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Kherson Oblast
    • 18th Rifle Battalion
    • 124th 'Kherson' Territorial Defence Brigade (cadred) (MU А7053)

Operational Command East

The Operational Command East (MU 1314) is headquartered in Dnipro and has an area of responsibility covering Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kharkiv Oblasts with the Russian-occupied territory of the Crimea nominally attached to it as the Separate Ground Forces Area (Окремий військово-сухопутний район). OC East is the general command responsible for frontline regular UGF formations fighting in the War in Donbas and the current Russian invasion.

Headquarters, Dnipro[53][54] (as the result of war in Donbas, a split from the OC "South")

Combat support units:

  • 8th Combat Command Group,
  • 133rd Security and Service Battalion (MU А3750), Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
  • 227th Automobile Battalion (MU А1823), Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
  • 121st Signal Regiment (MU А1214), Cherkaske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast [53][54]
  • 368th Information and Telecommunications Nod (MU А2326), Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
  • 188th Intelligence Command Center
  • Regional ELINT Center 'East'
  • 502nd Electronic Warfare Battalion (MU А1828), Cherkaske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast [53][54]
  • 91st Operational Support [Engineer] Regiment (MU А0563), Okhtyrka, Sumy Oblast [53][54]
  • 102nd NBC Surveillance and Analysis Station (102 розрахунково-аналітична станція)
  • 532nd Repair and Overhaul Regiment (MU А3336)
  • 218th Joint Logistical Support Center
  • 78th Material Supply Battalion (MU В4756), Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
  • 222nd Central Artillery Ammunitions Base
  • 239th Combined Arms Training Range
  • other specialised and logistical units
  • Military commissariats
  • Territorial centers for recruitment and social policy implementation

Combat units:

Territorial defence units:

Regional Directorate [of Territorial Defence] 'East', Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast

  • Information and Telecommunications Nod of Regional Directorate 'East', Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
  • Security and Service Company of Regional Directorate 'East', Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
    • 3rd Rifle Battalion
    • 108th 'Dnipropetrovsk' Territorial Defence Brigade (MU А7036)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Kharkiv Oblast
    • 17th Rifle Battalion
    • 113th 'Kharkiv Territorial Defence Brigade (MU А7041)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast
    • 6th Rifle Battalion (6-й окремий стрілецький батальйон)
    • 110th 'Zaporizhzhia' Territorial Defence Brigade (MUА7038)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Donetsk Oblast
    • ? Rifle Battalion
    • 109th 'Donetsk' Territorial Defence Brigade (MU А7037)
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Luhansk Oblast
    • ? Rifle Battalion
    • 111th 'Luhansk' Territorial Defence Brigade (MU А7039)

Ground Forces Area - Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula, these structures exist only nominally:

  • Territorial Defence Zone of Sevastopol
    • Rifle Battalion
    • Territorial Defence Brigade
  • Territorial Defence Zone of the Crimean Autonomous Republic
    • Rifle Battalion
    • Territorial Defence Brigade

Reserve Corps

Reserve Corps[58]

The army's Reserve Corps (Ukrainian: Корпус резерву) is a new formation, directly subordinated to the General Staff. It is also called the Army Strategic Reserve Corps. Its main function is to prepare and administer the reservists of the ground forces. According to plans it should be fully operational by 2020 with reserve servicemen in three separate categories:[59]

  • Operational Reserve of the First Line (оперативний резерв першої черги) – by 2020 it should include about 50,000 reserve servicemen with extensive combat training (60 days of combat training every two years) in the reserve companies and batteries of the operational army brigades and regiments and those reservists are to become casualty replacements in wartime
  • Operational Reserve of the Second Line (оперативний резерв другої черги) – it should include reserve servicemen with combat training of 30 days every two years in territorial defence brigades. In addition, the command personnel will undergo 10 days training cycles yearly. The 4th Army Corps should also act as the pool formation for those territorial brigades and transfer them to the ground forces' operational commands in wartime as needed.
  • Mobilization Reserve (мобілізаційний резерв) – it should include all the Ukrainian citizens, who are eligible to mobilization in case of a war, but do not belong to the first or the second line operational reserve. They could be used to form support units or to boost the service numbers of the territorial brigades as casualty replacements.

In that organization the Reserve Corps is currently (2022) engaged in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, and its reservists have fought in every ground operation of the conflict.

Geographic distribution

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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.

Hetmans of Ukrainian Cossacks

Hetmans of Ukrainian Cossacks

Hetman of Zaporizhian Cossacks is a historical term that has multiple meanings.

Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmelnytskyi was a Ukrainian military commander and Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, which was then under the suzerainty of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He led an uprising against the Commonwealth and its magnates (1648–1654) that resulted in the creation of an independent Ukrainian Cossack state. In 1654, he concluded the Treaty of Pereyaslav with the Russian Tsar and allied the Cossack Hetmanate with Tsardom of Russia, thus placing central Ukraine under Russian protection.

Odesa Oblast

Odesa Oblast

Odesa Oblast, also referred to as Odeshchyna is an oblast (province) of southwestern Ukraine, located along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Its administrative centre is the city of Odesa. Population: 2,351,382.

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.

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast

Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, also referred to as Ivano-Frankivshchyna (Іва́но-Франкі́вщина), is an oblast (region) in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. As is the case with most other oblasts of Ukraine this region has the same name as its administrative center – which was renamed by the Soviet Ukrainian authorities after the Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko on 9 November 1962. It has a population of 1,351,822.

19th Missile Brigade (Ukraine)

19th Missile Brigade (Ukraine)

The 19th Missile Brigade "Saint Barbara" is an artillery formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, based in Khmelnytskyi. The brigade is directly subordinated to the Ground Forces Command.

Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine

Khmelnytskyi is a city in western Ukraine. Located on the Southern Bug, it serves as the administrative centre of Khmelnytskyi Raion in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. With a population of 274,452 in January 2022, Khmelnytskyi is the second largest city in the region of Podolia after Vinnytsia.

Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Khmelnytskyi Oblast, also known as Khmelnychchyna, 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.

OTR-21 Tochka

OTR-21 Tochka

OTR-21 Tochka is a Soviet tactical ballistic missile. Its GRAU designation is 9K79; its NATO reporting name is SS-21 Scarab. One missile is transported per 9P129 vehicle and raised prior to launch. It uses an inertial guidance system.

Kremenchuk

Kremenchuk

Kremenchuk is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnieper River. The city serves as the administrative center of Kremenchuk Raion (district) in Poltava Oblast (province). Its population is approximately 215,271.

Poltava Oblast

Poltava Oblast

Poltava Oblast is an oblast (province) of central Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Poltava. Most of its territory is part of the historic Cossack Hetmanate. Population: 1,352,283.

List of commanders

Title "Commander-in-chief" (Ukrainian: Головнокомандувач) 1992 – 2005, "Commander" (Ukrainian: Командувач) 2005 – present

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Military ranks

As a non-member state, NATO rank codes are not used in Ukraine, they are presented here for reference purposes only

In the new uniforms the Ukrainian Ground Forces unveiled in August 2016 the stars that traditionally adorn shoulder straps have been replaced by diamonds.[60] A new set of insignia are being adopted.

General and officer ranks

Rank group General/flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Ukrainian Ground Forces[61]
Погон генерала ЗСУ (2020).svg Погон генерал-лейтенанта ЗСУ (2020).svg Погон генерал-майора ЗСУ (2020).svg Погон бригадного генерала ЗСУ (2020).svg UA shoulder mark 17.svg UA shoulder mark 16.svg UA shoulder mark 15.svg UA shoulder mark 14.svg UA shoulder mark 13.svg UA shoulder mark 12.svg UA shoulder mark 11.svg
Генерал
Heneral
Генерал-лейтенант
Heneral-leitenant
Генерал-майор
Heneral-maior
Бригадний генерал
Bryhadnyi heneral
Полковник
Polkovnyk
Підполковник
Pidpolkovnyk
Майор
Maior
Капітан
Kapitan
Старший лейтенант
Starshyi leitenant
Лейтенант
Leitenant
Молодший лейтенант
Molodshyi leitenant
Kурсант
Kursant

Other ranks and NCOs

Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Ukrainian Ground Forces[61]
UA shoulder mark 10-0.svg UA shoulder mark 09.svg UA shoulder mark 08.svg UA shoulder mark 07.svg UA shoulder mark 06.svg UA shoulder mark 05.svg UA shoulder mark 04.svg UA shoulder mark 03.svg UA shoulder mark 02.svg UA shoulder mark 01.svg
Головний майстер-сержант
Holovnyi maister-serzhant
Старший майстер-сержант
Starshyi maister-serzhant
Майстер-сержант
Maister-serzhant
Штаб-сержант
Shtab-serzhant
Головний сержант
Holovnyi serzhant
Старший сержант
Starshyi serzhant
Сержант
Serzhant
Молодший сержант
Molodshyi serzhant
Старший солдат
Starshyi soldat
Солдат
Soldat
A soldier in standard camouflage outfit
A soldier in standard camouflage outfit

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Military ranks of Ukraine

Military ranks of Ukraine

The military ranks of Ukraine were created in March 1992 after Ukraine adopted the law "About Universal Military Duty and Military Service". The rank structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces originally corresponded to the generic military rank structure of the Soviet Union. Since then the rank system has been overhauled and, as of 2022, follows a NATO standardization.

Lieutenant general

Lieutenant general

Lieutenant general is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a captain general.

Major general

Major general

Major general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a lieutenant general outranking a major general, whereas a major outranks a lieutenant.

Brigadier general

Brigadier general

Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops.

Colonel (Eastern Europe)

Colonel (Eastern Europe)

Polkovnik is a military rank used mostly in Slavic-speaking countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states and oberst in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries. The term originates from an ancient Slavic word for a group of soldiers and folk. However, in Cossack Hetmanate and Sloboda Ukraine, polkovnyk was an administrative rank similar to a governor. Usually this word is translated as colonel, however the transliteration is also in common usage, for the sake of the historical and social context. Polkovnik began as a commander of a distinct group of troops (polk), arranged for battle.

Major

Major

Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many armed forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators, major is one rank above captain in armies and air forces, and one rank below lieutenant colonel. It is considered the most junior of the field officer ranks.

Kapitan (rank)

Kapitan (rank)

Kapitan is used manifold as rank, grade, or rank designation in the Army, Air Force or Navy of numerous countries and armed forces. In member countries of NATO-alliance Kapitan is a commissioned officer rank, rated OF-2 in line to the NATO officers rank system. The almost equivalent OF-2 officer, e.g. in the US Army, is the Captain rank.

Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.

Junior lieutenant

Junior lieutenant

Junior lieutenant is a junior officer rank in several countries, equivalent to Sub-lieutenant.

Chief master sergeant

Chief master sergeant

A chief master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.

Master sergeant

Master sergeant

A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries.

Chief sergeant

Chief sergeant

Chief sergeant is a rank used in uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces.

Equipment

Uniforms

The Ukrainian Army unveiled its new uniforms on 24 August 2016 (Independence Day of Ukraine).[60] The new uniforms are modeled on British military styles, having a modern pixelated digital camouflage pattern.[60] They also incorporate details from the uniforms worn by the Ukrainian People's Army.[60] The new cap includes an insignia of a Ukrainian Cossack grasping a cross.[60]

Deployment outside of Ukraine

Iraq

Henadii Lachkov, commander of the Ukrainian contingent in Iraq, kisses his country's flag
Henadii Lachkov, commander of the Ukrainian contingent in Iraq, kisses his country's flag

Ukraine deployed a sizable contingent of troops to the Iraq War, these were stationed near Kut. Ukraine's troop deployment was the second largest of all former Soviet states besides Georgia and they deployed more soldiers to the nation then many members of NATO such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Ukraine also suffered the fifth highest casualty toll during the war, with only Polish, Italian, UK, and US forces suffering heavier losses.[62]

From 2003 to 2005 over 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers were deployed to Iraq, the third-largest contingent at the time, they were designated to the 5th Mechanized Brigade, as in Ukraine's mission to Kosovo the troops deployed were contract soldiers and not conscripts. Ukraine began to severely draw down its troop levels in Iraq in 2005 due to mounting casualties and the political toxicity of the conflict. By 2005 only 876 soldiers, roughly half of the original contingent were deployed, by years end troop levels dropped to below 100. In 2008, one year before the official end of the US military mission, President Viktor Yushchenko ordered all remaining troops deployed to Iraq to be returned home and Ukraine's mission to the nation officially over.[63]

Afghanistan

Between 2001 and 2021, Ukraine allowed United States military cargo planes to fly over and refuel on Ukrainian soil on their way to Afghanistan. In 2007 Ukraine deployed a detachment of the 143rd De-mining Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to Afghanistan. Ukraine has kept a team of soldiers deployed to Afghanistan as part of ISAF since 2007, these mostly consisted of pilots, medical officers, and bomb disposal experts.[64]

Ukrainian pilots were responsible for training the pilots of the Afghan Air Force on the operation of several air craft as Afghanistan's forces consisted of many Soviet designed aircraft such as the Mi-17, which Ukrainian troops were very familiar with. In 2013, the contingent of troops in Afghanistan totaled 26 troops. As of 2014 the Ukrainian contingent was further drawn down and the team included 8 bomb disposal experts and several medical officers.[64]

Kosovo

Ukrainian forces have also been deployed to Kosovo since 2000 as part of the 600 man Polish–Ukrainian Peace Force Battalion. In August 2014, Ukraine ended its mission to Kosovo due to the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[65]

Africa

Ukrainian peacekeeping forces have been deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Sudan and South Sudan and Cote d'Ivoire. Ukrainian forces have also been requested to take a more active role in the Northern Mali Conflict of 2012 in battling Islamic forces. One of the largest deployments is the 18th Separate Helicopter Unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine which consisted of 160 servicemen and four Mi-24P helicopters and was deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2011.[66]

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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.

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.

Georgia (country)

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a transcontinental country at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is part of the Caucasus region, bounded by the Black Sea to the west, Russia to the north and northeast, Turkey to the southwest, Armenia to the south, and by Azerbaijan to the southeast. The country covers an area of 69,700 square kilometres (26,900 sq mi), and has a population of 3.7 million people. Tbilisi is its capital and largest city, home to roughly a third of the Georgian population.

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.

5th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

5th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

The 5th Separate Mechanized Brigade was a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces sent to Iraq in August 2003. Brigade was deployed from 17 August 2003 to March 2004.

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.

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.

Polish–Ukrainian Peace Force Battalion

Polish–Ukrainian Peace Force Battalion

Polish–Ukrainian Peace Force Battalion (POLUKRBAT) or Ukrainian-Polish Peace Force Battalion (UKRPOLBAT) is a Polish-Ukrainian peacekeeping battalion, formed in the late 1990s expressly "for participation in international peace-keeping and humanitarian operations under the auspices of international organizations".

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.

Sudan

Sudan

Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It is bordered with the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Egypt to the north, Eritrea to the northeast, Ethiopia to the southeast, Libya to the northwest, South Sudan to the south and the Red Sea. It has a population of 45.70 million people as of 2022 and occupies 1,886,068 square kilometres, making it Africa's third-largest country by area, and the third-largest by area in the Arab League. It was the largest country by area in Africa and the Arab League until the secession of South Sudan in 2011, since which both titles have been held by Algeria. Its capital city is Khartoum and its most populous city is Omdurman.

South Sudan

South Sudan

South Sudan, officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country in Eastern Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Kenya. Its population was estimated at 10,913,164 in 2022. Juba is the capital and largest city.

Military decorations

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Orders, decorations, and medals of Ukraine

Orders, decorations, and medals of Ukraine

Awards and decorations of Ukraine are medals and orders granted by the President of Ukraine for meritorious achievements in national defense, state improvement, and development of democracy and human rights. Awards may also be issued to military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and be worn in conjunction with awards and decorations of the Ukrainian military.

Awards and decorations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Awards and decorations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Awards and decorations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are military decorations issued by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine to soldiers who achieve a variety of qualifications, who have completed classroom training standards stipulated in their military occupational specialty and accomplishments while serving on active and reserve duty in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Together with military badges, medals are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a service member's career. These badges are worn in order of precedence. Only badge of the highest degree worn.

Hero of Ukraine

Hero of Ukraine

Hero of Ukraine is the highest national decoration that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the President of Ukraine.

Order of Merit (Ukraine)

Order of Merit (Ukraine)

The Order of Merit first, second or third class, is the Ukrainian order of merit, given to individuals for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture, military or political spheres of activity. It was first established by Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma on September 22, 1996.

Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky

Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky

The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky is a Ukrainian military award named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks. The award was established on May 3, 1995 by Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Order of Danylo Halytsky

Order of Danylo Halytsky

The Order of Danylo Halytsky is an award of Ukraine. The Order was instituted on February 20, 2003, by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to honour the military men of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations created in compliance with the laws of Ukraine, as well as public servants for significant personal contribution in building of Ukraine, thorough and faultless service to the Ukrainian people.

Cross of Ivan Mazepa

Cross of Ivan Mazepa

The Cross of Ivan Mazepa is an award of the President of Ukraine. The Cross was instituted on March 26, 2009 by the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko to honour citizens of Ukraine, foreign citizens or stateless persons for significant contribution to the revival of national, cultural, artistic, spiritual, architectural, military and historical heritage of Ukraine, for achievements in state, diplomatic, humanistic, scientific, educational and charitable activity.

Medal For Military Service to Ukraine

Medal For Military Service to Ukraine

The Medal For Military Service to Ukraine is an award of Ukraine. It was established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma on October 5, 1996, to honour servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations created in accordance with the Ukrainian legislature and other individuals for courage and valor displayed at protection of state interests and for excellent execution of service duty.

Medal "For Irreproachable Service"

Medal "For Irreproachable Service"

The Medal "For Irreproachable Service" is a service medal of Ukraine. It was established by presidential decree on 5 October 1996. The medal is presented to officers and Warrant Officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as Officers and enlisted men of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Security Service of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine, Border Troops of Ukraine, Civil Defense of Ukraine. The medal rewards reaching a high level of combat and professional training, success in exercising authority over subordinates and serving as an example of fidelity and allegiance while performing all other service duties in an excellent manner.

Defender of the Motherland Medal

Defender of the Motherland Medal

The "Defender of the Motherland" Medal is a commemorative medal awarded by Ukraine. It was established on 8 October 1999 by presidential decree № 1299.

Veterans

Ukraine provides combat veterans with various benefits. Ukrainians who have served in World War II, the Soviet–Afghan War, or as liquidators at the Chernobyl disaster are eligible for benefits such as a monthly allowance, a discount on medical and pharmacy services, free use of public transportation, additional vacation days from work, having priority for retention in case of work layoffs, easier loan access and approval process, preference when applying for security related positions, priority when applying to vocation school or trade school, and electricity, gas, and housing subsidies. Veterans are also eligible to stay at military sanatoriums, provided there is available space.[67]

Since gaining independence, Ukraine has deployed troops to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, gaining a new generation of veterans separate from those who served in the Soviet forces. Most recently the government passed a law extending veteran benefits to Ukrainian troops participating in the war in Donbas. 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 that World War II, Chernobyl, and Afghanistan veterans from other Soviet states who moved to Ukraine received similar benefits. As Ukraine has participated in numerous NATO led conflicts since its independence it is unclear if NATO veterans would be extended these benefits.[67]

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 War of Afghanistan are strikingly similar to the Vietnam veterans of the United States, although the Soviet Union generally kept the public in the dark through the war, unlike in Vietnam, where coverage was very high. Afghanistan is often labeled as a mistake by the Soviet Union and its successor states, but the lack of media coverage, and the censorship through the war have ensured that many still remain unaware of their nation's involvement in the conflict.[68] Despite Ukraine having the 3rd largest contingent of troops in Iraq in 2004, few also realize that their nation has many veterans of the Iraq war.

Soldiers that took part in the war in Donbas can receive free land plots.[69]

On 22 November 2018 the (Ukrainian) Ministry for Veterans Affairs was officially established.[70]

Discover more about Veterans related topics

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 liquidators

Chernobyl liquidators

Chernobyl liquidators were the civil and military personnel who were called upon to deal with the consequences of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union on the site of the event. The liquidators are widely credited with limiting both the immediate and long-term damage from the disaster.

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.

War in Donbas (2014–2022)

War in Donbas (2014–2022)

The war in Donbas, or Donbas war, was an armed conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine, part of the broader Russo-Ukrainian War.

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.

Source: "Ukrainian Ground Forces", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 23rd), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Ground_Forces.

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Notes
  1. ^ According to the State Program of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reform and development to 2005, the ground forces were to have the biggest ratio of personnel of all services (up to 54%). This ratio was to be based on the missions assigned to the armed forces, and also on the fact that the economy of Ukraine could not support any larger troop numbers. However, the ground forces still has priority in the number of personnel, weapons, military equipment development priorities and the development of their future systems, which were to correspond to modern warfare requirements. The ground forces were planned to closely coordinate their assignments with other army branches, engaging appropriate military arts and equipment. They were to also be involved in law enforcement activities during emergencies, dealing with consequences of technological and natural disasters, providing military assistance to other countries, engaging in international military cooperation activities (UN), and participating in international peacekeeping operations according to international agreements.
  2. ^ It was reported on 27 July 2005 that '..[o]ver 70 per cent of planned work on [the] disbandment of the Ukrainian armed forces' Northern Operational Command has been completed,' according to the Defence Ministry's press service.[20]
References

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General sources

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