Foundations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Development of the national military as an attribute of an independent state is a necessary component of state-building. Therefore, on August 24, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a resolution “On Military Formations in Ukraine”, which determined: “to subordinate all military formations deployed on the territory of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine; to establish the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine; the Government of Ukraine shall proceed with the establishment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. In fact, this resolution marked the beginning of the construction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as an important institution of the state.

The formation of the military of independent Ukraine took place in difficult conditions. Due to the ex-territorial method of manning the Soviet Army, Ukrainians, conscripts and officers served mostly outside Ukraine. In particular, in 1990, about 75% of the officers of Ukraine's three military districts were Russians, and in the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs their share was as high as 80%. In 1990, 60% of the officers in the Far Eastern and Trans-Baikal districts were Ukrainians. In the officer corps of the Soviet Army, Ukrainians accounted for more than 40%, which exceeded their percentage in the population of the Soviet Union.

The Soviet military has always been one of the main instruments of russification and implementation of the totalitarian state's policy among the masses of military personnel. When “decentralized” aspirations for the creation of independent states intensified in the second half of the 1980s, the Soviet army was seen as ‘imperial’ and “occupying”. The result was an anti-military confrontation that was waged in the USSR in two ways: in the form of socio-political anti-military actions (as in the Baltic states); and disarmament of army units, theft of weapons, and arming of the population (as in the Transcaucasus). In the late 1980s, the movement for the creation of national armed forces spread in most of the Soviet republics.

In Ukraine, the struggle for the creation of its national army began under the “Baltic scenario” on the initiative of opposition civic organizations, including the People's Movement of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Helsinki Union, the Union of Independent Ukrainian Youth, and the Association of Soldiers' Mothers. Numerous rallies were held to demand that Ukrainians perform military service on the territory of Ukraine, picketing military units and military enlistment offices, publicly burning their military ID cards, etc.

In the mid-1980s, academic, practical, and organizational preparations for the revival of the Ukrainian army began in Ukraine. Subsequently, in 1990, several concepts were proposed based on different principles of the formation of the Ukrainian National Army: evolutionary reform of the Soviet Army units stationed in Ukraine and the parallel creation of alternative Ukrainian military formations.

In February 1990, the Ukrainian Military Committee was established in Lviv, which was later reorganized into the Lviv Public Committee for the Revival of the Ukrainian National Army. One of the resolutions of the aforementioned committee stated that Ukraine had been occupied by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic troops in 1919 and that it was therefore necessary to seek in every way “temporary service by residents of Ukraine with the right to use the Ukrainian language in Soviet troops on the territory of Ukraine as a transitional stage to the creation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.” Leaflets calling for disobedience to the command and threatening the military were used to spread these and other ideas. They were scattered in military units, distributed to servicemen and the population.

Four congresses of officers - citizens of Ukraine - also played a role in the formation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, the Union of Officers of Ukraine (UOU) was created.

After the proclamation of the Act of Independence of Ukraine, an appropriate legislative framework was created for the formation of the Armed Forces of the state. In August 1991, the Tashkent Agreement was signed, according to which, starting from January 1, 1992, the state of Ukraine subordinated the units and formations deployed on its territory.

On September 5, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Major General of Aviation Kostiantyn Morozov as Minister of Defense of Ukraine. On October 11, 1991, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the Concept of Defense and Construction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Concept stipulated that Ukraine would gradually realize its intention to become a neutral, non-nuclear state that would not participate in military blocs and would adhere to all treaties and agreements on the non-use of nuclear weapons, taking into account all national security factors. The document defined that the Armed Forces of Ukraine would consist of three branches: Land Forces (Ground Defense Component), Air Force and Air Defense Forces (Air Defense Component), and Navy. The powers of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were also defined.

Oath of allegiance to Ukraine

A milestone date in the formation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was December 6, 1991, when the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Laws “On Defense of Ukraine” and “On the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. On the same day, the text of the Military Oath was approved, which was first taken in the Verkhovna Rada by the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Colonel-General Kostiantyn Morozov.

On January 3, 1992, the process of voluntarily swearing allegiance to the people of Ukraine by troops stationed on Ukrainian territory began. The jurisdiction of Ukraine was assumed by: 14 motorized rifle divisions, 4 tank divisions, 3 artillery divisions and 8 artillery brigades (9293 tanks and 11346 combat vehicles), a special forces brigade, 9 air defense brigades, 7 combat helicopter regiments, 4 air armies (about 1500 combat aircraft) and a separate air defense army. At the time of Ukraine's declaration of independence, the number of forces in Ukraine totaled 980,000 troops. However, this number of weapons and personnel was excessive. In June 1992, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, which set maximum levels of weapons and military equipment for Ukraine. Accordingly, the number of tanks was to be reduced by 5,300 units, armored combat vehicles by 2,400 units, and combat aircraft by 477 units. On October 19, 1993, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine reviewed the Plan of Organizational Measures in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Resolution “On the General Structure, Size and Logistics of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” was adopted, which set the size of the Armed Forces at 455,000 military personnel. At the same meeting, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved the Military Doctrine of Ukraine, which determined the need to bring the country's defense system in line with current geopolitical and geostrategic conditions, to review and clarify the tasks and content of the activities of all state structures, organizations and institutions involved in ensuring the military security of Ukraine.

The Black Sea Fleet issue

One of the most acute issues in the process of establishing the Armed Forces of Ukraine was the Black Sea Fleet. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Black Sea Fleet came under the control of Ukraine on the basis of territorial affiliation. According to the Decree of the President of Ukraine of April 5, 1992, the formation of the command and control bodies of the Ukrainian Navy began based on the Black Sea Fleet. However, on August 3, 1992, at a meeting between the Presidents of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk and Russia Boris Yeltsin, it was decided to divide the fleet in two. In reality, this meant that the fleet would come under the control of the Russian Federation, which was delaying the conclusion of a final agreement on the division of the fleet in every possible way. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Navy was being formed from units of the former USSR Navy stationed in Ukraine but not part of the Black Sea Fleet, and from new ships built by Ukrainian shipyards. Sometimes it even came to a forceful confrontation. On July 21, 1992, the patrol ship SKR-112, raising the Ukrainian flag, moved from the Crimean base (Lake Donuzlav) to Odesa. During the 8-hour journey, the ship was pursued by Black Sea Fleet ships, using warning artillery fire and attempting to board the mutinous vessel with a boarding squad. Ukrainian border guard boats and a fighter jet were sent to support the SKR-112. Faced with the threat of a military clash, the Russian sailors refused to comply with the order of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters to stop the ship “by any means.”

The agreement on the division of the Black Sea Fleet was signed by Presidents Leonid Kuchma and Boris Yeltsin only on June 9, 1995: Ukraine received only 18% of the ships and vessels of the Black Sea Fleet, while Russia retained 82%. Even more threatening, as the future showed, was the preservation of Russian Black Sea Fleet bases on the territory of Ukraine.

Nuclear disarmament

One of the most important and controversial issues in the entire range of military affairs was the problem of nuclear weapons. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine became the owner of the third largest nuclear potential in the world. Based on the nuclear-free principle enshrined in the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine of July 16, 1990, our state pledged to transfer nuclear weapons to Russia for their dismantling under joint control. In exchange for nuclear disarmament, Ukraine received security guarantees and financial compensation. The process of nuclear disarmament was finally completed by June 1, 1996, when not a single nuclear warhead remained on the territory of Ukraine.

Formation of the branches of the Armed Forces and the network of military higher education institutions

In accordance with the Presidential Decree of January 28, 1993, the formation of a single branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – the Air Defense Forces – began based on the Air Force and the Anti-Air Defense Forces. The final merger was supposed to be completed by November 30, 1995. However, the planned activities could not be implemented within the established timeframe. Due to the lack of an adequate legal framework and well-grounded theoretical provisions for the creation of a new branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the process of merging the Air Force and Anti-Air Defense Forces was suspended in 1996.

By a Presidential Decree of May 23, 1996, the Land Forces Command was established as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with command and control bodies and troops of military districts subordinated to it.

The system of training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine has undergone a major reorganization. A number of educational institutions were disbanded due to the downsizing of the Armed Forces. Instead, specialists in those specialties that were not previously taught in Ukraine were trained. An indicative example of the reorganization of the military education system was the establishment on October 8, 1993, on the basis of the Lviv Higher Military School and military departments of civilian higher education institutions in Lviv of a new type of educational institution integrated into the civilian education system - the Military Training Department of the Lviv Polytechnic State University. In 1992, the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was established based on the Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasilevskyi Air Defense Academy in Kyiv to train specialists of operational-tactical and operational-strategic levels.

Ukraine inherited from the USSR a general procedure for military duty, which was regulated by the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service” adopted on March 25, 1992. Later, this law was amended many times; the changes were of different nature, but mostly there was a tendency to reduce the term of service. Besides that, alternative service was introduced for those who do not agree to serve in the military for religious reasons (non-religious reasons in Ukraine do not give grounds for alternative service).

Armament and military equipment

Since units and formations were deployed on the territory of Ukraine in Soviet times to reinforce the first echelon (groups of Soviet troops abroad), they were armed with fairly modern weapons and military equipment. They formed the basis of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Much of this weaponry was produced in Ukraine, including T-64 and T-80UD tanks (Malyshev Plant in Kharkiv), MT-LB tracked vehicles and vehicles derived from them, including the 2C1 122-mm self-propelled howitzers (Kharkiv Tractor Plant). Other types of equipment in service with the Land Forces included T-72 tanks, BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-60PB, BTR-70, BTR-80 wheeled armored personnel carriers, 2S3, 2S5, 2S19 (all 152-mm caliber) and 2S7 (203-mm) self-propelled artillery systems. The Tochka and Tochka-U tactical missile systems were advanced designs of missile technology. Multiple launch rocket systems were also widely used: 122-mm BM-21 Grad, 220-mm BM-27 Uragan, and 300-mm BM-30 Smerch. Air defense of the ground forces was provided by man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) “Strela-2”, “Strela-3” and “Igla”, self-propelled anti-aircraft missile systems “ Osa”, “Kub”, “Buk”, ‘Tor’, anti-aircraft self-propelled systems ZSU-23-4 and 2S6 “Tunguska”.

The bulk of the military aviation was made up of equipment manufactured in the 1980s, although there were many older models. The heavy bomber aviation was equipped with Tu-160, Tu-95MS, Tu-22M2/M3 strategic bombers, and the frontline aircraft were Su-24 and Su-24M. The core of the fighter aviation was made up of MiG-23, MiG-25, MiG-29, Su-15, and Su-27 aircraft. Su-25 ground-attack aircraft were intended for direct support of ground troops. The main types of military transport aircraft were Il-76 and An-26, and helicopters were Mi-6, Mi-8, Mi-24 and Mi-26. The country's echeloned air defense system was represented by medium-range S-75 and S-125 systems and long-range S-200 and S-300 systems.

In 1991-1996, despite various difficulties, the foundations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were laid, a military command and control system was created, and the military mechanism of the state was brought into line with the new geopolitical conditions. However, the implementation of a number of important measures was impossible due to the growing economic crisis.

Development and Reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 1997-2005.

The beginning of a new stage of military development in Ukraine was marked by the approval by President Leonid Kuchma in January 1997 of the State Program for the Construction and Development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine until 2005. In the same month, the Regulations “On the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine” and “On the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” were approved. This was an important step toward establishing democratic civilian control over the defense sector.

In 1998, a new system of military-administrative division of the territory of Ukraine was introduced. Instead of military districts, operational commands were established – operational-strategic groups designed to perform operational, mobilization and territorial defense tasks within the limits established for them in peacetime and wartime, as well as technical, logistical, medical and other types of support for troops (forces) located on their territories, regardless of ministerial subordination. In early 1999, a new system of logistics support was introduced based on the territorial approach. This made it possible to unify and reduce the number of logistics bodies, to ensure the integration of logistics resources, forces and means, and to use them in a comprehensive and effective manner in the interests of all structures of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The improvement of the military command and control system continued in the following years. The most important measure was the completion of the transition to a three-branch structure of the Armed Forces. In 2004-2005, the Air Force and the Air Defense Forces were merged into a new branch of the Armed Forces - the Air Force. Of the three operational commands, two (Western and Southern) remained, and the Northern Operational Command was reorganized into the Territorial Directorate “North”. In order to optimize the system of operational (combat) and logistical support, the Support Forces Command was formed. It includes more than 50 military units and support units.

Simultaneously with the reorganization, there was a further reduction in the size of the Armed Forces. It was considered optimal to maintain the number of personnel in peacetime at the level of 0.8-0.9% of the population (about 400-450 thousand people). In December 1998, the limits of 320 thousand military servicemen and 100 thousand employees of the Armed Forces were approved, and as of the end of 2005, there were 180 thousand military servicemen and 65 thousand employees of the Armed Forces. The ratio between the branches of the Armed Forces was as follows: Land Forces - up to 40%; Air Force - up to 24%; Navy - up to 8%; military administration bodies, military educational institutions, and establishments - up to 28%.

The Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2006-2013

During 2006-2011, further changes in the structure of the Armed Forces and reduction of their number (to 192 thousand people) took place. The Rapid Reaction Corps of the Land Forces was formed, the system of military education, personnel and medical support was reformed, and the scope of international military cooperation was expanded.

The reduction in the size of the Armed Forces required a corresponding reorganization of units and formations. In particular, the Land Forces shifted from a three-tier structure (operational command-division-regiment) to a two-tier structure (operational command-brigade). As of 2010 there were 17 combat brigades (2 tank, 8 mechanized, 1 airborne, 2 airmobile, 1 missile and 3 artillery), 14 separate combat regiments (1 mechanized, 1 airmobile, 2 special purpose, the Presidential Regiment, 3 rocket artillery, 3 anti-aircraft missile regiments, 2 helicopter aviation regiments, and 1 electronic warfare regiment) and 9 separate combat support regiments (4 engineering, 4 communications, 1 radiation, chemical and biological defense), other separate units and institutions at the regimental level and below, as well as the 169th Desna Training Center. In 2013, the number of personnel of the Land Forces amounted to 57 thousand people. They were armed with 686 tanks, 72 combat helicopters, 2065 armored combat vehicles, 716 artillery systems (guns, mortars and multiple launch rocket systems) of 100 mm and larger caliber.

In the Air Force, a brigade, which includes 2-3 aviation squadrons and support units, has become the main organizational unit. As a result of downsizing and reorganization, as of 2013, the Air Force had 6 brigades and one separate tactical aviation squadron, 3 transport air brigades and one training brigade (subordinated to the Kharkiv Air Force University), as well as a separate regiment of remotely piloted aircraft. In addition, the Air Force consisted of 4 radio engineering brigades, 4 anti-aircraft missile brigades and 8 anti-aircraft missile regiments.

The core units of the Navy were two surface ships brigades and several separate battalions, as well as a naval aviation brigade and a coastal defense brigade.

The rearmament of the Armed Forces with the latest equipment was extremely slow. This was due to the economic crisis (which limited public spending) and the low priority of the Armed Forces in the face of the recognition of the absence of an external threat (as enshrined in the Military Doctrine of Ukraine of 2010). For example, the Army adopted the T-84U tank in 1999 and the BM Oplot tank in 2009, but their procurement was limited to small numbers. No new aircraft were purchased for the Air Force at all - everything was limited to the modernization of a few MiG-29 fighters, Su-25 attack aircraft, and L-39 trainers. There was almost no renewal of the Navy's ships. The basis of the Armed Forces' equipment was Soviet-era weapons and equipment. A number of models were decommissioned. The reasons could be the inconsistency of the equipment with the military doctrine of Ukraine (strategic bombers) or moral and physical obsolescence (MiG-25, Su-15 fighters, Mi-6 helicopters, S-200 air defense systems, etc.). The reduction in the size of the armed forces made it possible to standardize weapons and equipment. Thus, the only type of tank in the Army became T-64, while other models were placed in storage or sold abroad.

Staffing of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 1997-2013.

The leading trend in the manning of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 1997-2013 was a gradual decrease in the share of conscripts and an increase in the share of contract servicemen. There were plans to gradually completely abolish military service and switch to a contract-based system of manning the army. As of the beginning of 2013, there were about 45 thousand contract servicemen in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but only 15 thousand of them served in combat units (including 5 thousand in the Army). That is, the basis of the rank and file of combat units, as before, were conscripts. Given the limited period of conscript service, this had a negative impact on the combat capability of the units. On October 14, 2013, the President of Ukraine signed a decree according to which in 2014, compulsory conscription was to be carried out only in the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, and all other troops would be transferred to the contractual principle of manning after the last conscripts were discharged in November 2014 (with the possibility of resuming conscription by presidential decree, as provided by law).

The development of the military education system was carried out through the establishment of specialized higher education institutions. For the Land Forces, such an institution was the Lviv Institute of the Land Forces, established in 2005 on the basis of the Military Institute of Lviv Polytechnic National University. On September 1, 2009, it was withdrawn from Lviv Polytechnic National University and transformed into the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi Army Academy with the establishment of the Military College of Non-Commissioned Officers as part of it. Training of specialists for the Air Force was concentrated at the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv Air Force University, established in 2003 on the basis of the Kharkiv Military University and the Kharkiv Institute of the Air Force, and for the Navy - at the Pavlo Nakhimov Naval Academy, established in 2009 on the basis of the Sevastopol Naval Institute. In 2011, another higher education institution was added to the system of training specialists for the Land Forces - the Military Academy (Odesa), which was created by reorganizing the Military Institute of Odesa National Polytechnic University. The Ivan Cherniakhovskyi National University of Defense of Ukraine (until 2008 - National Defense Academy of Ukraine; until 1999 - Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) provides training for specialists of operational-tactical and strategic levels.

In 1997-2013, the main directions of development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were further reduction of the number of personnel and weapons, as well as optimization of the organizational structure. The transition of the Armed Forces to contract manning and re-equipment with modern (upgraded) weapons and military equipment was declared but not fully implemented.

At the end of 2012, the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was up to 184 thousand people, including up to 139 thousand military personnel (that is, three times less than the number of the Armed Forces planned in 1991).

Reorganization and technical re-equipment in 2014-2020

The year 2014 was a test of courage, endurance, loyalty to the oath of allegiance and devotion to the people of Ukraine for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and went down in history as the year of the revival of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and its support for the separatist movement in a large part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions led to a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and state sovereignty. A hybrid war was unleashed against the sovereign Ukrainian state. The Armed Forces of Ukraine engaged in real combat operations with a well-armed and trained enemy that had never been considered a likely adversary by our headquarters before.

Russian aggression against Ukraine has caused numerous casualties and material losses. To repel it, Ukrainian society has exerted all its strength, which manifested itself, in particular, in a broad volunteer movement to support the military and an influx of volunteers into the security forces. The number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has increased significantly - as of February 2016, it reached 275 thousand people. A number of new units have been formed, and the command structure has been restructured to meet new requirements. In particular, four operational commands have been established in the Land Forces: “North”, “South”, “East”, and “West”. In 2020, the Land Forces consisted of 30 combat brigades (2 tank, 9 mechanized, 4 motorized infantry, 2 mountain assault, 1 infantry ranger, 1 missile, 2 rocket, 5 artillery, 4 army aviation) and a number of separate regiments and battalions of various purposes.

In January 2016, the Special Operations Forces were established as a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They included 2 Special Forces regiments and a number of other units, including centers for information and psychological operations and a training center. The combat capabilities of the Airborne Assault Forces, which also have the status of a separate branch of the armed forces, have increased significantly. They now include five brigades (airborne and 4 air assault brigades), a number of support and logistics units.

The combat capability of the Air Force kept growing. The Air Commands “West”, “Center”, ‘South’ and “East” were created, and included 7 tactical aviation brigades, 3 transport brigades, 1 training brigade, 1 regiment of remotely piloted aircraft, as well as 5 anti-aircraft missile brigades and 7 anti-aircraft missile regiments.

The Navy started to revitalize. It consisted of three naval bases (“Western” in Odesa, “Southern” in Mykolaiv, and “Azov” in Berdiansk), 2 surface ship brigades, and several separate battalions. The Navy also included a naval aviation brigade and the Marine Corps Command (2 marine brigades, an artillery brigade, a rocket and artillery regiment, and other units).

New and modernized models of Ukrainian-made weapons and military equipment are being put into service: armored personnel carriers BTR-3E, BTR-4, Dozor-B, Bulat and Oplot tanks, Stugna anti-tank missile systems, etc. Considerable attention is paid to the creation of a “missile shield” as a means of deterring a potential aggressor. In March 2016, tests of the tactical missile system “Vilkha” began, and in January 2018 - of the anti-ship missile system “Neptune”. The creation of the Hrim-2 operational and tactical complex is underway. The Air Force and Army Aviation receive modernized Su-25M1 attack aircraft, MiG-29MU1, MiG-29MU2, Su-27S1M, Su-27P1M, Su-27UB1M fighters, L-39M1 trainer aircraft, Mi-8MSB-V, and Mi-24PU1 helicopters. The An-70 military transport aircraft has been adopted, medium military transport aircraft An-178 have been procured, and a number of other manned and unmanned military aircraft are being developed. A significant step towards strengthening the combat capabilities of the Air Force was the acquisition of the Bayraktar TB2 attack UAVs in early 2019, the first of this class in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

An important task is to rebuild the capabilities of the Navy, which was severely damaged by the Russian occupation of Crimea. In December 2016, the Ukrainian Navy received its first replenishment in a decade - two small armored boats of Project 58155 (Gyurza-M) “Berdiansk” and “Akkerman”. Of the nine planned boats of this type, seven were ready by the end of 2020. The first two amphibious assault boats of Project 58503 (Kentavr-LK) were manufactured.

Supplies of modern equipment from abroad are essential for increasing the combat capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, after the beginning of the Russian aggression, the United States provided Ukraine with counter-battery radars, Raven reconnaissance UAVs, Island-class patrol boats, and other equipment. Military-technical cooperation with the United Kingdom, Turkey, and a number of other countries is expanding.

Thousands of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have heroically performed in the battles for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity. Civil society support helped restore the combat capability of the Armed Forces in a short time.

History of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (since 1991)

History of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (since 1991)