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Ukrainian territorial defence battalions

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11th territorial defence battalion "Kyivan Rus" fighter, 2014
11th territorial defence battalion "Kyivan Rus" fighter, 2014

Territorial defence battalions (Ukrainian: Батальйо́ни територіа́льної оборо́ни, romanizedBataliony terytorialnoi oborony) were volunteer military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the auspices of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence in 2014–2015. They should not be confused with the volunteer units of Special Tasks Patrol Police of Ukraine created along with territorial defense battalions, but under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior. Together, they are both collectively known as the Ukrainian volunteer battalions. The battalions were established in mid-2014, during the early stages of the war in Donbas, to combat the pro-Russian separatists[1][2][3] and the forces of the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, and the United Armed Forces of Novorossiya. 32 volunteer territorial defence battalions were formed.

In autumn 2014 most of the territorial defence battalions were reorganized as motorized infantry battalions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In 2022 the Territorial Defense Forces were created as a successor of the old territorial defense battalions.

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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.

Romanization of Ukrainian

Romanization of Ukrainian

The romanization of Ukrainian, or Latinization of Ukrainian, is the representation of the Ukrainian language in Latin letters. Ukrainian is natively written in its own Ukrainian alphabet, which is based on the Cyrillic script. Romanization may be employed to represent Ukrainian text or pronunciation for non-Ukrainian readers, on computer systems that cannot reproduce Cyrillic characters, or for typists who are not familiar with the Ukrainian keyboard layout. Methods of romanization include transliteration and transcription.

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.

Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)

Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees national defence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is the Minister of Defence. The President of Ukraine is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukrainian volunteer battalions

Ukrainian volunteer battalions

Ukrainian volunteer battalions were militias and paramilitary groups mobilized as a response to the perceived state of weakness and unwillingness of the regular Armed Forces to counter rising separatism in spring 2014. They trace their origins to the "Maidan Self-Defense" militias formed during the Euromaidan in 2013. The earliest of these volunteer units were later formalized into military, special police and paramilitary formations in a response to the Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Most of the formations were formed or placed under command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs — as "Special Tasks Patrol Police" — and Ministry of Defence — as "Territorial defence battalions". A minority of battalions were independent of state control.

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.

Donetsk People's Republic

Donetsk People's Republic

The Donetsk People's Republic is an unrecognised republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast, with its capital in Donetsk. The DPR was created by militarily-armed Russian-backed separatists in 2014, and it initially operated as a breakaway state until it was annexed by Russia in 2022.

Luhansk People's Republic

Luhansk People's Republic

The Luhansk People's Republic or Lugansk People's Republic is an unrecognised republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, with its capital in Luhansk. The LPR was created by militarily-armed Russian-backed separatists in 2014, and it initially operated as a breakaway state until it was annexed by Russia in 2022.

Territorial Defense Forces (Ukraine)

Territorial Defense Forces (Ukraine)

The Territorial Defence Forces are the military reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

History

In March 2014 acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov issued an order to create seven territorial defence battalions.[4] These formations were subordinated to the Ministry of Defense.[5] Battalions generally took their name from wherever most of their recruits were from.

Soldier of the Aidar Battalion training with an RPG-18
Soldier of the Aidar Battalion training with an RPG-18

Since 30 April 2014, all territorial defence battalions have been part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and fall under the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the governors of the oblasts (provinces) in which they were created.[15] By law, every oblast in Ukraine should create its own territorial defence battalions.[5]

During the opening stages of the war in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian military and police forces were largely ineffective in separatist areas, often surrendering equipment or overwhelmed in cities by large crowds of civilians. Federalist and pro-Russian insurgents quickly gained large swaths of territory. Ukraine also lost control of the Ukrainian–Russian border and this allowed a large inflow of insurgents and military supplies from Russia.

By August 2014 over 5,600 volunteers had joined defence battalions across Ukraine and about 7,000 volunteers had joined by the end of September.[22][23]

The Russian Communist Party pushed to label the battalions as terrorist organizations, even though they are directly subordinate to the Government of Ukraine and are legal government agencies of Ukraine.[24] Russian politicians have not pushed for declaring pro-Russian insurgents fighting in Ukraine as terrorists.

In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election several members of the battalions were elected into the Ukrainian parliament.[25][26]

Reorganization

On 10 November 2014 Stepan Poltorak, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, ordered territorial defence battalions to reorganize as motorized infantry battalions.[27][28]

2022 Russian full-scale invasion

Before the invasion, the Ukrainian military had already begun an expansion process of the territorial defense forces in preparation of the Russian invasion. [29]After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Ukrainian government announced general mobilisation [30] and formed new territorial defense battalions to accommodate the influx in men. Theoretically, the TDF could field up to 150 battalions.[31] In social media statements by the TDF, several previously unseen battalion numbers (some exceeding the theoretical 150 number), such as the 103rd,[32] 124th,[33] 130th,[34] 251st [35] etc. were mentioned, indicating that the TDF has likely expanded far past the initially planned size.

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Acting (law)

Acting (law)

In law, a person is acting in a position if they are not serving in the position on a permanent basis. This may be the case if the position has not yet been formally created, the person is only occupying the position on an interim basis, the person does not have a mandate, or if the person meant to execute the role is incompetent or incapacitated.

President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

The president of Ukraine is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. The president is directly elected by the citizens of Ukraine for a five-year term of office, limited to two terms consecutively.

Oleksandr Turchynov

Oleksandr Turchynov

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

Mobilization

Mobilization

Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word mobilization was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and tactics have continuously changed since then. The opposite of mobilization is demobilization.

Lviv Oblast

Lviv Oblast

Lviv Oblast, also referred to as Lvivshchyna, is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv. The current population is 2,478,133.

Chernihiv Oblast

Chernihiv Oblast

Chernihiv Oblast, also referred to as Chernihivshchyna (Черні́гівщина), is an oblast (province) in northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Chernihiv. Within the oblast are 1,511 settlements. Population: 959,315.

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.

Kharkiv Oblast

Kharkiv Oblast

Kharkiv Oblast, also referred to as Kharkivshchyna, is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine. The oblast borders Russia to the north, Luhansk Oblast to the east, Donetsk Oblast to the south-east, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to the south-west, Poltava Oblast to the west and Sumy Oblast to the north-west. The area of the oblast is 31,400 km², corresponding to 5.2% of the total territory of Ukraine.

Aidar Battalion

Aidar Battalion

24th Separate Assault Battalion "Aidar", also known as the Aidar Battalion, is an assault battalion of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

RPG-18

RPG-18

The RPG-18 Mukha is a Soviet short-range, disposable light anti-tank rocket launcher designed in 1972.

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.

General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the military staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is the central organ of the Armed Forces Administration and oversees operational management of the armed forces under the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

Equipment

The battalions receive basic resources and weapons from the Interior Ministry or the Ministry of Defence.[5] These resources soon proved to be inadequate and numerous groups have helped to equip the battalions.[5] The best known volunteer groups are Self-defence of Maidan, which has its own warehouses in Melitopol, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv, and Army SOS, an initiative of former Euromaidan activists. Volunteers provide things like: hygiene items, food, sleeping bags, night vision goggles and multicopters (for use as drones).[5]

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Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)

Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)

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

Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)

Ministry of Defence (Ukraine)

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees national defence and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The head of the ministry is the Minister of Defence. The President of Ukraine is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Melitopol

Melitopol

Melitopol is a city and municipality in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in southeastern Ukraine. Melitopol has been occupied by Russia since March 2022. It is situated on the Molochna River, which flows through the eastern edge of the city into the Molochnyi Lyman estuary. Melitopol is the second-largest city in the oblast after Zaporizhzhia and serves as the administrative center of Melitopol Raion.

Kharkiv

Kharkiv

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

Euromaidan

Euromaidan

Euromaidan, or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv. The protests were sparked by President Viktor Yanukovych's sudden decision not to sign the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement, instead choosing closer ties to Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union. Ukraine's parliament had overwhelmingly approved of finalizing the Agreement with the EU, but Russia had put pressure on Ukraine to reject it. The scope of the protests widened, with calls for the resignation of Yanukovych and the Azarov government. Protesters opposed what they saw as widespread government corruption, abuse of power, human rights violations, and the influence of oligarchs. Transparency International named Yanukovych as the top example of corruption in the world. The violent dispersal of protesters on 30 November caused further anger. Euromaidan led to the 2014 Revolution of Dignity.

Sleeping bag

Sleeping bag

A sleeping bag is an insulated covering for a person, essentially a lightweight quilt that can be closed with a zipper or similar means to form a tube, which functions as lightweight, portable bedding in situations where a person is sleeping outdoors. It is also commonly used indoors for people who do not have beds or at sleepovers for when one or more persons cannot all fit in the bed or do not feel comfortable sleeping with someone. Its primary purpose is to provide warmth and thermal insulation through its synthetic or down insulation. It also typically has a water-resistant or water-repellent cover that protects, to some extent, against wind chill and light precipitation, but a tent is usually used in addition to a sleeping bag, as it performs those functions better. The bottom surface also provides some cushioning, but a sleeping pad or camp cot is usually used in addition for that purpose. The bottom surface of a sleeping bag may be moderately water repellent, but a plastic tarp or groundsheet is often used to protect against moist ground.

Unmanned aerial vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs were originally developed through the twentieth century for military missions too "dull, dirty or dangerous" for humans, and by the twenty-first, they had become essential assets to most militaries. As control technologies improved and costs fell, their use expanded to many non-military applications. These include aerial photography, precision agriculture, forest fire monitoring, river monitoring, environmental monitoring, policing and surveillance, infrastructure inspections, smuggling, product deliveries, entertainment, and drone racing.

List of territorial defence battalions

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1st Independent Motorized Infantry Battalion (Ukraine)

1st Independent Motorized Infantry Battalion (Ukraine)

The 1st Independent Motorized Infantry Battalion was a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Initially created as the 1st Ukrainian territorial defense battalion «Volyn» drawn from residents of Lutsk and Volyn oblast, the creation of the Battalion was announced 31 May 2014, following the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War, and training began on 10 June 2014 in the city of Volodymyr in Volyn Oblast.

Rivne Oblast

Rivne Oblast

Rivne Oblast, also referred to as Rivnenshchyna (Рі́вненщина), is an oblast (province) in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Rivne. The surface area of the region is 20,100 square kilometres (7,800 sq mi). Its population is: 1,141,784.

30th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

30th Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

The 30th Prince Konstanty Ostrogski Mechanized Brigade is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The full name of the unit is 30th Independent Mechanized Brigade "Konstanty Ostrogski".

Lviv Oblast

Lviv Oblast

Lviv Oblast, also referred to as Lvivshchyna, is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv. The current population is 2,478,133.

5th Territorial Defence Battalion 'Prykarpattya'

5th Territorial Defence Battalion 'Prykarpattya'

The 5th Territorial Defence Battalion "Prykarpattya" is a former unit of Ukrainian Ground Forces. It was formed in 2014 from volunteers of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, and was subordinated to the Ministry of Defence. Battalion was disbanded in January 2015.

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.

Ternopil Oblast

Ternopil Oblast

Ternopil Oblast, also referred to as Ternopilshchyna (Терно́пільщина) or Ternopillia (Тернопілля), is an oblast (province) of Ukraine. Its administrative center is Ternopil, through which flows the Seret, a tributary of the Dniester. Population: 1,021,713.

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.

Chernivtsi Oblast

Chernivtsi Oblast

Chernivtsi Oblast, also referred to as Chernivechchyna, is an oblast (province) in Western Ukraine, consisting of the northern parts of the regions of Bukovina and Bessarabia. It has an international border with Romania and Moldova. The oblast is the smallest in Ukraine both by area and population. Chernivtsi was part of Romania. In 1408, when it was a town in Moldavia and the chief centre of the area known as Bukovina. Chernivtsi later passed to the Turks and then in 1774 to Austria. After World War I it was ceded to Romania, and in 1940 the town was acquired by the Ukrainian SSR.

Vinnytsia

Vinnytsia

Vinnytsia is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug.

Vinnytsia Oblast

Vinnytsia Oblast

Vinnytsia Oblast (Ukrainian: Ві́нницька о́бласть, romanized: Vinnytska oblast; IPA: [ˈwinːɪtsʲɐ] , also referred to as Vinnychchyna, is an oblast in west-central Ukraine. Its administrative center is Vinnytsia. The oblast has a population of 1,509,515.

Polesia

Polesia

Polesia, Polissya, Polesie, or Polesye is a natural and historical region in Eastern Europe, including part of Eastern Poland, the Belarus–Ukraine border region, and part of Southwestern Russia.

Source: "Ukrainian territorial defence battalions", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, February 9th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_territorial_defence_battalions.

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References
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  7. ^ В Днепропетровске формируется Полк защиты // «Корреспондент. NET» от 19 марта 2014
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  9. ^ В Житомирской области появился батальон обороны края «Полесье» // "Житомир.INFO" (12 April 2014)
  10. ^ Территориальный батальон Житомирщины обеспечивает охрану государственной границы. ФОТО // «Житомир online» (9 September 2014)
  11. ^ Игорь Андрейченко про службу в 13-м БТО Archived 2014-10-15 at the Wayback Machine // «Новини Чернігова» (27 June 2014)
  12. ^ Сумы cоздают батальон территориальной обороны // «Ukrinform» (24 April 2014)
  13. ^ В Харькове создали очередной батальон, а самооборона рвется в МВД // «Сегодня.UA» (26 April 2014)
  14. ^ В Україні створюються батальйони територіальної оборони — С. Пашинський // The official web-site of the President of Ukraine (30 April 2014)
  15. ^ Батальоны территориальной обороны будут подчиняться Генштабу и председателям ОГА — Пашинский // "Ukrinform" (30 April 2014)
  16. ^ Указ Президента України № 454/2014 Про часткову мобілізацію / official web-site of The President of Ukraine
  17. ^ "In Nikolaev create the armed battalion of territorial self-defence for situation deduction in the region". NEWS.PN. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  18. ^ "Promised Remedies Transformation 34 Battalion territorial defence". Kirovohrad Oblast Council. 26 July 2014.
  19. ^ Порошенко подписал закон о мобилизации. Частичная мобилизация будет длиться в течение 45 дней // "Вести.UA" (23 July 2014)
  20. ^ В Запорожской области формируют новый батальон и возводят фортификационные сооружения Archived 2015-07-14 at the Wayback Machine // NEWSRU.UA (29 August 2014)
  21. ^ (in Ukrainian) Zaporizhia Oblast will create a new battalion of heavy machinery, Ukrayinska Pravda (8 September 2014)
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    People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections – CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
    Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament – CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
    Video of first brawl in Verkhovna Rada becomes a YouTube hit, Kyiv Post (5 December 2014)
    "Frontline politics: Ukraine fighters run for parliament". Agence France-Presse. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 6 December 2014.
    War veterans steal limelight in Ukraine's new parliament, Reuters (27 November 2014)
  27. ^ "Полторак: добровольческие батальоны будут подчиняться украинской армии". RIA Novosti. 11 November 2014.
  28. ^ "Структура військ територіальної оборони Збройних Сил України". www.ukrmilitary.com. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  29. ^ "In Ukraine will be formed more than 150 territorial defence battalions".
  30. ^ "Verkhovna Rada approves decree on mobilisation in Ukraine". Ukrinform. 3 March 2022.
  31. ^ "Ukrainian Defense Ministry to create 150 reservist battalions". The Kyiv Independent. 19 January 2022.
  32. ^ https://twitter.com/TDF_UA/status/1593887552892796928
  33. ^ [1]
  34. ^ [2]
  35. ^ [3]
  36. ^ На Хмельниччині підрозділи батальйону територіальної оборони завершили процес бойового злагодження (21 June 2014)

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