Structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine


The structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is multifaceted.
In late 2010 the total personnel was 200,000. Conscription was ended in October 2013; at that time the Ukrainian armed forces were made up of 40% conscripts and 60% contract soldiers. In April 2014 acting President Oleksandr Turchynov reinstated conscription in May 2014.
In early 2014, Ukraine had 130,000 personnel in its armed forces that could be boosted to about one million with reservists.
There is a reported total of 250,800 personnel in the Armed Forces in 2015.
Following the Russian aggression, Ukraine has adopted a new military doctrine which made the Russian Federation its main opponent and announced Ukraine's intentions for closer relations with NATO armed services, most especially if it joins the organization in the future.
The law 'On the Foundations of National Resistance' establishes the following structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces:
In addition there has been two separate troop arms – the Air Landing Assault Troops Command and the Signals and Cyber-Security Troops Command.
There are also organs of military command and control, formations and units, which are separate from the services, branches and arms

Supreme Command Authority

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

The President of Ukraine holds the title of Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The holder of the office presides over several councils, which direct the security policies of the state:

Council for National Security and Defence of Ukraine

The Council for National Security and Defence of Ukraine is the highest national organ for the management of Ukraine's national security. It is headed by the President as its chairman and includes:
The council has its Apparatus.
Military Cabinet at the Council for National Security and Defence of Ukraine
The Military Cabinet at the Council for National Security and Defence of Ukraine acts as a section of the CNSDU and while the wider body is tasked with the national security in the broader sense, including financial security, foreign policy, social policy etc., the Military Cabinet is concentrated on the military threats to national defence.
Some of the members of the CNSDU are also members of its Military Cabinet.

Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

In case of war Article 7 of the Ukrainian Law "On the Armed Forces of Ukraine" prescribes the formation of Stavka of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief as an advisory council aiding the President in the command of the armed forces. In light of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine this provision was enacted for the first time when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued an executive order on 25 February with the following composition of the Headquarters:

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

The highest-ranking military officer is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the rank of a full General / Admiral.
The position was created on 27 March 2020, by Executive Order No.123/2020 of the President.
Until then the Chief of the General Staff was also the Commander-in-Chief of the UAF.
The two responsibilities were split for the newly created CinC UAF to take a more direct role in the overall command of the troops and the CGS to retain the administrative and long-term planning role.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – General Zaluzhnyi, Valerii Fyodorovych
Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – Lieutenant-General Moysyuk, Yevhen Heorgiyovych
The CinC AFU is aided in his activities by the Kyiv-based Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

Office of the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces

Apparatus of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine :
  • Office Command
  • Strategic Communications Directorate
  • Automatization Development Directorate
  • Internal Control Directorate
  • Office of Advisors
  • Office of Assistants of the CinC UAF
  • Department of Protocol
  • Secret Documents Support Section
The position of the CinC AFU has been established by the Law "On the Transformation of the Joint Command and Control System of the Defence Forces" as the supreme professional authority on matters of national defence and security, therefore the incumbent holder has direct control over the Chief of the General Staff, Commander of the Joint Forces, commanders of the various armed services, separate arms and branches and separate military units, as well as shared authority with the Minister of Interior Affairs and the chiefs of the various national security services on matters of strategic planning, generation of forces and principles for their actions in case of a state of a martial law, as well as operational control during wartime.

Chief of the General staff

The General staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the main body of military management for strategic planning of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other forces and means of other components of the defence forces, coordination and control over defence tasks between government services, regional governments and municipal bodies and the defence forces in the manner established by the country's legal framework, acts of the President of Ukraine and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and defense legislation of the Supreme Council.

Commander of the Joint Forces Command, Armed Forces of Ukraine

The main functional purpose of the Joint Forces Command is to plan and manage the joint forces of the AFU in operations to repel armed aggression against Ukraine and to command and control national contingents and personnel involved in international peacekeeping and security operations.
The Joint Forces Command is the successor to the former Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is headed by the Joint Forces Commander, who reports directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and directs the Joint Forces in all domains of their application.
The JFC is the command authority for the Joint Forces Operation in the eastern Russian-occupied separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, an operation which took over from the previous Anti-Terrorist Operation.

Commanders of the armed services, separate combat arms and support branches

The commanders of the three main armed services – the Ground Forces, Air Force and the Navy, report to the CinC UAF and their main role is to provide force generation and readiness of their respective services, arms and branches.
The commanders of the three separate combat arms – the Air Assault Forces, Marine Corps and the Special Operations Forces also report to the C-in-C, but unlike the three armed services commanders, they are invested both with a force generation role, as well as operational command and control of their units.
Operational command and control is executed by services, arms and branches-specific component commands under the Joint Forces Command.
Armed services:
Separate combat arms:
Separate support branches:
  • Commander of the Support Forces
  • Commander of the Logistical Forces
  • Commander of the Medical Forces
Special Operations Forces:
The Special Operations Forces are a special separate combat arm. Unlike the Air Assault Forces, Marine Corps and the Signals and Cybernetic Security Forces, which are subordinated operationally to the Commander of the Joint Forces, the SOF report both administratively and operationally directly to CinC UAF.
  • Commander of the Special Operations Forces
The Military Police is a separate service subordinated to the Minister of Defence.

Shared role in strategic planning

The CinC AFU shares the strategic planning for the development of various services, which are outside of the Armed Forces during peacetime, but are transferred in cases of wartime mobilization under his office.
;Services under the Ministry of Defence:State Special Transport Service – the former Railway Troops. It includes a central Administration ; the 1st Separate, named after Kniaz Lev, Brigade of the SSTS ; the 26th Separate Dniprovs'ka Brigade ; the 36th Road Repair and Overhaul Konotops'kiy Regiment ; the 194th Pontoon-Bridging Regiment, the 195th Central Base for Railway Equipment and two training establishments – the Chair for Training of Military Specialists of the SSTS at the Dnipropetrovs'k National University for Rail Transport and the 8th Training Chernihiv Center of the SSTS
;Services under the Ministry of Internal Affairs:National Guard of Ukraine National Police of Ukraine State Emergency Service of Ukraine
;Services under the Administration of the President:State Border Guard Service of Ukraine

Ministry of Defence

The following establishments and institutions are directly subordinate to the Ministry of Defence.
Structures directly subordinated to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence
Ukrainian Ministry of Defence Apparatus, Kyiv
  • Main Intelligence Directorate
  • Security Service of the Ministry of Defence
  • Main Inspection
  • Defence Policies Directorate
  • Defence Information Policies and Strategic Communications Directorate
  • Military Education and Science Department
  • Military Technical Policies, Development and Military Weaponry and Equipment Department
  • Internal Audit department
  • Military Policies and Strategic Planning Department
  • State Purchases and Deliveries of Material Resources Department
  • Information Organisation Works and Control Department
  • Personnel Policies Department
  • International Defence Co-operation Department
  • Social and Personnel Policies Support Department
  • Financial Department
  • Judicial Support Department
  • Military Representations Directorate
  • Anti-Corruption Directorate
  • State Secrets Security Directorate
  • Press and Information Directorate
  • Physical Culture and Sport Directorate
  • Control Measures Co-ordination Unit
  • Mobilisation Preparedness Unit
State Aviation Scientific Development Institute, Kyiv
State Scientific Test Center of the AFU, Honcharivsk, Chernihiv Oblast
Central Scientific Research Institute of the AFU, Kyiv
Central Military Weaponry and Equipment Scientific Research Institute of the AFU, Kyiv
Scientific Research Center of the Rocket Forces and Field Artillery, Sumy, Sumy Oblast
Scientific Research Center for Humanitarian Matters of the AFU, Kyiv
Central Directorate for Acquisition and Delivery of Material Supplies of the AFU, Kyiv
Codification Bureau, Kyiv
Military Delegations of the MoU
other directly subordinated units under the Ministry

Chief of the General staff

The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine oversees the strategic planning and force generation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Chief of the General Staff – Lieutenant-General Shaptala, Serhiy Oleksandrovich
Deputy Chief of the General Staff – Lieutenant-General Bokiy, Viktor Hrihorovich
Deputy Chief of the General Staff – Brigadier General Kirilenko, Oleksandr Mykolayovich
Deputy Chief of the General Staff – Colonel Koval', Volodimir Valeriyovich
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv
  • Deputy Chiefs of the General Staff of the UAF
  • * J-1 Main Directorate of Personnel
  • * J-2 Intelligence Organ
  • * J-3 Main Directorate of Operations
  • * J-4 Main Directorate of Logistics
  • * J-5 Main Directorate of Defence Planning
  • * J-6 Central Directorate of Communication and Information Systems
  • * J-7 Main Directorate of Doctrine and Training
  • * J-8 Central Directorate of Defence Resources
  • * J-9 Directorate of Civil-Military Cooperation
  • * Military Scientific Directorate
  • * Central Directorate for Protection of State Secrets and Security
  • * Legal Support Directorate
  • * Financial Directorate, Administrative Directorate

Directly reporting formations of the General staff

The following are units directly subordinated to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
  • Joint Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv
  • Main Command Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv
  • Back-up Command Center of the UAF, Radomyshl, Zhytomyr Oblast
  • 15th Airborne Command and Control Center of the General Staff of the AFU, Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • Main Directorate for Moral and Psychological Support of the AFU, Kyiv
  • Main Directorate for Military Cooperation and Verification of the AFU, Kyiv
  • Central Military Security Directorate, Kyiv
  • Directorate for Career Development of NCO Personnel, Kyiv
  • 101st Separate Security Brigade of the General Staff 'Colonel-General Henadii Vorobiov, Kyiv
  • other units and establishments directly under the General Staff of the AFU
Military Education Establishments and Units

Joint Forces Command

The Commander of the Joint Forces has direct command and control over the operational combat, combat support and combat service support units, involved in military operations in land and overseas and military exercises during peacetime, as well as during wartime operations.Joint Forces Operation, commands the armed forces and security forces contingents facing the Russian-controlled Donbass separatist forces, successor to the previous Anti-Terror Operation. The forces deployed in the JFO are also known as the Joint Forces Groupment Ground Forces operational forces:
  • * Operational Command "West", HQ in Rivne, Rivne Oblast, Commander: Major-General Serhiy Litvinov, the AOR covers 8 oblasts: Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnitsky and Chernivtsi oblasts.
  • * Operational Command "South", HQ in Odesa, Odesa Oblast, Commander: Major-General Andriy Koval'chuk, the AOR covers 5 oblasts: Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Kherson oblasts, as well as nominally Russian-occupied Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, designated as the Separate Military Ground Forces Area.
  • * Operational Command "North", HQ in the capital Kyiv, Commander: Major-General Viktor Nikolyuk, the AOR covers six oblasts: Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Poltava, Sumy, Cherkassy and Chernihiv oblasts and the capital city of Kyiv.
  • * Operational Command "East", HQ in Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Commander: Major-General Oleh Mikats, AOR covers five oblasts: Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, although forces involved in the JFO operate independently.
  • * Directly reporting units – Missile and Rocket Forces and Artillery; Army Aviation etc.Air Force operational forces:
  • * Air Force Command "West", HQ in Lviv, Lviv Oblast, Commander: Major-General Oleksiy Marchenko, AOR covers Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnitsky and Chernivtsi oblasts.
  • * Air Force Command "South", HQ in Odesa, Odesa Oblast, Commander: Lieutenant-General Vasil' Chernenko, AOR covers completely Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts, parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Zaporizhzhia oblast as well as nominally the territory of Russian-occupied Crimea with the city of Sevastopol, designated as the Separate Military Air Force Area.
  • * Air Force Command "Center", HQ in Vasylkiv Air Base, Kyiv Oblast, south of the capital city of Kyiv, Commander: Lieutenant-General Anatoliy Kryvonozhko, AOR covers completely Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Cherkassy and Chernihiv oblasts, parts of Poltava, Sumy and Kirovohrad oblasts and the capital city of Kyiv itself.
  • * Air Force Command "East", HQ in Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Commander: Major-General Ivan Terebukha, AOR covers completely Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and parts of Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Poltava and Sumy oblasts.
  • * Directly reporting units – fighter-bomber aviation, UAV aviation, transport aviation, signals, electronic warfare, command and control units etc.Marine Corps operational forces:
  • * Marine Corps General Command, HQ in Mykolaiv, Mykolaiv Oblast, Commandant: Lieutenant-General Yuriy SodolNavy operational forces:
  • * Ukrainian Navy Flotilla, HQ in Odesa, Odesa Oblast, Commander: Captain First Rank Yuriy Fedash
  • * Directly reporting units – naval aviation brigade, anti-ship missiles and artillery, naval bases, other support unitsAir Assault Forces operational forces:
  • * Air Assault Forces General Command, HQ in Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast, Commander: Major-General Maksim Mirgorodsk'kiyCombat support and combat service support forces:
  • * Signals and Cyber Defence Troops Command AFU, HQ in Kyiv, Commander: Major-General Yevhen Stepanenko
  • * Support Forces Command UAF, HQ in Kyiv, Commander: Brigade General Dmitro Herekha
  • * Logistical Forces Command UAF, HQ in Kyiv, Commander: Major-General Oleh Hulyak
  • * Medical Forces Command UAF, HQ in Kyiv, Commander: Brigade General Tetyana Ostashchenko

Ukrainian Ground Forces

As of 2016, there were a reported 169,000 personnel in the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The Ukrainian Ground Forces are divided into Armoured and Mechanized Forces, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence and Rocket and Artillery Troops. There are 13 mechanized brigades and two mountain warfare brigades in the Mechanized Forces. Ukraine also has two armoured brigades. There are also seven rocket and artillery brigades. Until 2013, the Ground Forces were divided into three army corps. These were disbanded in 2013 and reorganized as Operation Command West, Operation Command North and Operation Command South. Operation Command East was formed in 2015 to coordinate forces in the war in Donbas.

Ukrainian Air Force

In 2016, the Ukrainian Air Force was reported to have included 36,300 personnel.

Ukrainian Naval Service

According to an August 2015 Kyiv Post report, the Ukrainian Navy consisted of 6,500 personnel, Marine Corps then included.

Air Assault and Airborne Forces

The Ukrainian Airborne and Air Assault Forces are composed of 8 air landing, air assault and air-mobile brigades and support units.
Airborne and Air Assault Forces Command, Zhytomyr, Zhytomyr Oblast

Special Operations Forces

Ukraine's special forces are reported as 4,000 strong.
Special Operations Forces Command, Kyiv

Signals and Cybernetic Security Forces

The Signals and Cybernetic Security Troops Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is a separate joint forces command under the General Staff since 5 February 2020.
Signals and Cybernetic Security Troops Command, Kyiv
  • Main Command Post of the Signals and Information Systems, Kyiv
  • Main Center for Information and Telecommunications Systems Security Control, Kyiv
  • Main Information and Telecommunications Nod, Kyiv
  • 1st Separate Field 'Proskurov Signals Nod, Kyiv
  • 3rd Separate Signals Brigade, Semipolki, Kyiv Oblast
  • 8th Separate Signals Regiment, Haisyn, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • 330th Central Nod of the Feldjaeger-Postal Service, Kyiv
  • 1899th Central Base for Repair and Overhaul of Special Signals Equipment, Kyiv
;training establishments and units
  • Military Institute for Telecommunications and Information Automatization 'Heroes of Kruty, Kyiv
  • Military College for NCO Personnel of the MITIA, Poltava, Poltava Oblast
  • 179th Joint Education and Training Center of the Signals Troops, Poltava, Poltava Oblast
;under other services and troops
  • Signals and Information Systems Center of the Joint Forces Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Kyiv
  • signals and information systems directorates to the headquarters of the ground forces, air force, navy, air landing and assault troops, special operations forces, territorial defence forces, support forces, logistical forces etc.

Support Forces

Since 1 January 2022 the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff.
Support Forces Command, Kyiv
  • Central Directorate of Engineer Troops of the UAF, Kyiv
  • * 20th Arsenal of the Engineer Troops, Olshanytsia, Kyiv Oblast and Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast
  • * 47th Engineer Brigade, Dubno, Rivne Oblast
  • ** 301st Separate Road Traffic Control Battalion
  • ** 304th Separate Road Traffic Control Battalion
  • * 48th Engineer 'Kamianets-Podilskaya' Brigade, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
  • ** 11th Separate Pontoon-Bridging Battalion
  • ** 308th Separate Engineer Technical Battalion
  • ** 309th Separate Engineer Technical Battalion
  • ** 310th Separate Engineer Technical Battalion
  • ** 311th Separate Engineer Technical Battalion
  • ** 321st Separate Engineer Battalion
  • * 70th Separate Support Regiment, Bar, Vinnytsia Oblast
  • * 107th Road Maintenance Center, Dubno, Rivne Oblast
  • * 808th Separate Support Regiment, Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast
  • * 3046th Central Base for Engineer Ammunitions, Malynivka, Kharkiv Oblast
  • * Center for Special Engineering Works, Kyiv
  • Central Directorate of the NBC Defence Troops of the UAF, Kyiv
  • * NBC Surveillance and Analysis Center, Kyiv
  • * 704th Separate NBC Defence Regiment, Kyiv
  • * 55th Separate Special EW Center, Kyiv and Brovary, Kyiv Oblast
  • Central Directorate for Military Topography and Navigation of the UAF, Kyiv
  • * 8th Publishing Center of the UAF, Kyiv
  • * 13th Photogrammetric Center, Odesa, Odesa Oblast
  • * 16th Planning Center for Navigation Support, Kyiv
  • * 22nd Military Mapping Unit, Kharkiv, Kharkiv Oblast
  • * 64th Topography-Geodesic Center, Shepetivka, Khmelnytskyi Oblast
  • * 161st Topography-Geodesic Center, Chernivtsi, Chernivtsi Oblast
  • * 115th Mapping Center, Kotsyubynske, Kyiv Oblast
  • Hydro-Meteorological Center of the UAF, Kyiv
  • * hydro-meteorological units of the ground forces, air force and navy
  • training units
  • * Joint Education and Training Center of the Support Forces, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi Oblast

Logistical Forces

Since 1 January 2022 the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff. The logistical forces are mainly organised in two arms – Weaponry and Rear Services.
Logistical Forces Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, KyivArmament Service of the UAF
  • * Central Support Directorate for Ground Weapons Systems
  • * Central Support Directorate for Military Equipment
  • * Central Support Directorate for Weapons of Mass Destruction
  • * Central Missile and Artillery Directorate of the UAF
  • * Central Automobile Directorate of the UAF
  • * Central Armored Directorate of the UAF
  • * Department for Metrology and Standardization of the UAF Rear Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
  • * Central Support Directorate for Fuel and Lubricants
  • * Central Support Directorate for Food Supply of the UAF
  • * Central Support Directorate for Material Support of the UAF
  • * Central Support Directorate for Resources Supply
  • * Central Support Directorate for Technical Equipment and Property
  • * Central Support Directorate for Engineering and Infrastructure
  • * Central Directorate for Military Communications of the UAF
  • military units subordinated to the Armament Service
  • military units subordinated to the Rear Service

Medical Forces

Since 1 January 2022 the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff.
Medical Forces Command, Kyiv
training establishments and units
  • Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, Kyiv
  • medical departments of the ground forces, air force, navy, air assault troops, special forces, territorial defence, support forces, logistic forces, signals and cyber-security, etc.

Military Police

The military police, titled Military Law Enforcement Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, VSP in Ukrainian initialism, is a special military service outside of General Staff control and subordinated directly to the Ministry of Defence.
Main Directorate of the VSP, Kyiv
  • Counterincursion and Counterterror Department
directly reporting:
territorial forces:
Central Directorate, Kyiv
Western Territorial Directorate, Lviv, Lviv Oblast
Southern Territorial Directorate, Odesa, Odesa Oblast
Eastern Territorial Directorate, Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast