The Ukrainian army is a power state structure that ensures the integrity of the country and external protection in case of military conflicts, but even in the territory of Ukraine, many residents do not know what the APU is.
How is it deciphered and what does APU mean?
The Armed Forces of Ukraine - an abbreviation, which means "the Armed Forces of Ukraine." This name is used in Russian. To find out how it is translated into Ukrainian APU, it is enough to change just one letter in the abbreviation, and it will turn out ZSU.
The literal translation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is not well understood by Russian-speaking citizens, since it comes from the definition of “fighter” - a weapon.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine - the main power structure of Ukraine, consisting of various military formations. The regular army was created not only to protect against the aggression of other states, but also to combat the terrorist threat. It is used to maintain a stable situation on the territory of Ukraine, as well as to combat armed formations recognized by the current government as illegal.
History reference
Historians have different opinions about the year in which the first Ukrainian army was created. Depending on the research option, its study is carried out in two ways:
- in the framework of the history of the states that existed on the territory of modern Ukraine before its creation;
- since the official appearance and international recognition of Ukraine as an independent country.
The first army, which acted to protect the state on the territory of present-day Ukraine, was formed at the time of Kievan Rus. The troops of the Russian principalities were tribal in nature and fully supported by ordinary people. It lacked ranks and titles, and the functions of the commander-in-chief could only be performed by the voivode or prince.
The army was not regular - in case of danger the prince convened soldiers to repel enemies, then the army was dismissed again.
Today, the history of the Ukrainian armed forces also includes the period of existence of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks (15-18 centuries). This military structure numbered from 10 to 12 thousand professionally trained soldiers at different times. She provided protection for the Cossack freemen, known as the Zaporizhzhya Sich. The warriors were distinguished by great professionalism, which made them popular as mercenaries in Poland and Russia. In the 18th century, Zaporizhzhya Cossacks were dissolved, and the territories of modern Ukraine gradually came under the control of the Russian Empire. In subsequent years, there were other militarized formations, but they did not have a pronounced statehood.
The modern history of the Ukrainian army begins with the declaration of independence of the Ukrainian SSR in 1990. A year after that, all military units based in the country were united in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, subordinated to a single center. After the collapse of the USSR, the number of soldiers in the Ukrainian army numbered about 700 thousand people. In fact, the process of the emergence and development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine represented the restructuring of the military units of the USSR located in the territory of modern Ukraine.
The army of Ukraine decreased to 500 thousand people in the first decade after independence. In the early 2000s, due to the absence of a military threat, the size of the armed forces was again reduced. The Armed Forces of Ukraine were practically unchanged until the reform was adopted in 2012, according to which, within five years, it was planned to abolish military duty and reduce the number of soldiers from 190 to 70 thousand. But with the beginning of the armed confrontation in the east of Ukraine in 2014 and the change of the current government, mandatory military service was restored, mobilization was introduced, and many volunteer battalions were created.
Structure of the Ukrainian army
The number of the Ukrainian army changes regularly. The structure of the APU in Ukraine uses a similar division with the USSR. At the moment, the military units in the country are structured by three branches of the military:
- land;
- by air;
- naval.
Also the APU is additionally provided with:
- air assault troops;
- special operations forces.
According to the current Ukrainian legislation, the country must necessarily serve men aged 20 to 27 years. According to official data for 2018, the number of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is 255,000: of which 110,000 are kept on a contract basis. The reserve of the Ukrainian army is 1 million people, of whom 150,000 took part in the hostilities. The duration of the urgent call varies from 12 to 18 months.
The last comparative analysis of the armed forces of Ukraine with the armies of other countries was conducted in 2016. According to the study, Ukrainian troops ranked 30th in the international ranking of combat power.
In numbers and weapons, the army of Ukraine in 2018 is in 19th place.
Since Ukraine is a democratic country, the post of supreme commander-in-chief of the army is occupied by the current president, Petr Poroshenko. The government’s website states that the duties of the Minister of Defense are Stepan Timofeevich Poltorak, and the head of the General Staff is Viktor N. Muzhenko.
Armament APU
Since the beginning of the military conflict in the east of Ukraine, the armament of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has significantly increased, both in quantity and quality. Depending on the type of troops, the Ukrainian army includes:
- Naval forces. Most of the weapons of the Ukrainian Navy were in the Crimea. After the autonomous republic became part of Russia, the naval forces faced a crisis. Virtually all the remaining weapons were released in the middle of the 20th century and are unsuitable for combat operations. Ukrainian Navy does not have landing ships. Marine battalions use infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers. The last landing ship "Yuri Olefirenko" is in unusable condition and is not able to perform combat missions. Thus, the necessary armament for the marines is missing, which allows it to be used only for ground purposes;
- Air Force. The basis of the aviation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces consists of MiG and Su aircraft. Tactical aviation has only six brigades. Also, the air force includes a regiment of UAVs and a training brigade of tactical aviation. The total number of aircraft suitable for flight, as well as transport aircraft and fighter jets is not more than 260 units. In the absence of production and engines, their number can not be replenished. The conduct of hostilities in the east of the country against the self-proclaimed DNR and LNR, wishing to become part of Russia, put the Ukrainian Air Force in distress. As of 2015, with the help of the air defense, the soldiers of the unrecognized republics shot down: 11 helicopters, 7 aircraft and 2 fighters. According to unofficial data, the number of shot down Ukrainian fighters is about 26 units. The only air unit capable of performing serious combat missions is the UAV;
- Ground troops. APU includes eleven mechanized, three mountain infantry and four motorized infantry brigades. Of these, only eight are provided with a complete set of uniforms. But the armed forces of the armed forces contain 8.2 thousand infantry fighting vehicles capable of providing quality support to ground forces. Four brigades are on a permanent basis to protect the borders;
- Tank forces. The Armed Forces of Ukraine has three tank brigades and four separate battalions. The main volume of equipment is made up of divisions of the USSR times. At the moment, two brigades are fully equipped and ready for combat operations. The tank troops of Ukraine are the main weapon of the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the latest data, the number of tanks in service with the APU is 2.8 thousand units;
- Rocket troops and artillery. The APU has nineteen artillery brigades and two regiments of jet artillery. The main fire power is provided by the MLRS Grad, Uragan, Smerch. Most of the equipment and shells was made in the 50-70s of the 20th century. A small number of Hyacinth, MSTA-S, and Peony remained of self-propelled artillery installations. The number of receiver technology is 1.6 thousand units, self-propelled - 1.3 thousand, MLRS - 625 cars. A significant part of the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was destroyed during the collision with the DPR and LPR in 2014-2015. Resources for the full recovery of missile forces in Ukraine are missing.
Also, the Ukrainian Armed Forces has one airborne, five airborne assault, two airmobile brigades and two special forces regiments. These troops are few but fully equipped and can provide strong support at the front line. This information allows us to understand who the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are, and what weapons they possess.
Distinctive features of uniform of the Ukrainian soldiers
After the start of the ATO in the east of Ukraine, the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were equipped with a “oak” uniform in three versions: tricolor, dark, and discolored. For the manufacture of forms used synthetics. The kit for one fighter consists of:
- summer jacket;
- trousers;
- two pairs of underwear;
- insulated winter form;
- several pairs of black socks;
- rain suit (not for everyone);
- berz;
- bag
Depending on the season, the fighter receives only one pair of shoes. The second he must purchase independently. Also, military personnel are obliged to buy the headdress themselves. In 2016, a new appearance of the form called “Varan” was introduced, focused on NATO standards.
In 2015, a decision was made to replace the Soviet stars on soldiers with Ukrainian symbols in the form of diamonds. Updated shoulder straps were also obtained by the generals: now they are decorated with a symbol in the form of crossed maces, indicating the Cossack past of Ukraine.
Title, medals, awards in the army of Ukraine
The Ukrainian Armed Forces use the ranks system according to the Soviet model, which is also used in the Russian army.
The number of awards that servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine may receive is not numerous. The list includes:
- Order: "Golden Star", "For Merit", "For courage";
- Order of the name: "Yaroslav the Wise", "Danila Galitsky," Bogdan Khmelnytsky "," Princess Olga ";
- Medal "For Military Service to Ukraine."
Soldiers are awarded solely by decree of the President of Ukraine.
In what armed conflicts did the Ukrainian army participate
The only serious hostilities in which the Armed Forces of Ukraine took part were the war in the east of Ukraine. Before that, the soldiers of the Ukrainian army were used exclusively as peacekeepers in conflicts on the territory of other states:
- Bosnia;
- The Republic of Kosovo;
- Lebanon;
- Sierra Leone;
- Democratic Republic of the Congo;
- Iraq;
- Liberia;
- Afghanistan;
- Ivory Coast.
For the entire period of participation in peacekeeping missions and special operations, the loss of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amounted to about 50 servicemen.
In 2014, a large-scale anti-terrorist operation against the self-proclaimed republics of the DPR and LPR, which are seeking to become part of the Russian Federation, began on the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk region of Ukraine. Moscow condemned the actions of the government of Ukraine, calling the conflict a civil war. According to official data, as of the end of 2017, about 11 thousand soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine died in the course of hostilities, 10 thousand were injured and were forced to leave the service, about 7 thousand deserted. The loss of the APU armored vehicles amounted to 2.5 thousand units. Accurate information about how many people died on both sides of the conflict, no.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine are among the most powerful armies in the world, so they know how the name of the APU is deciphered far beyond the borders of the country. Despite this, most of the armament of the security forces is obsolete, since it was made in Soviet times and requires replacement.
