Armed Forces of Ukraine

Main article: Ukraine

Structure

Ministry of Defence

Main article: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Directorate General of Intelligence

Main article: Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine

Ground forces

Main article: Army of Ukraine (Ground Forces)

AIR FORCE

Main article: Ukrainian Air Force

National Cyber ​ ​ Military

Main article: National Cyber ​ ​ Warfare of Ukraine

Forces of unmanned systems of Ukraine

Main article: Forces of unmanned systems of Ukraine

Special Forces

CIPsO ( Center for Information and Psychological Operations)

Main article: CIPsO (Center for Information and Psychological Operations of Ukraine)

Navy

2024

Delivery of Uisco speedboats from Finland

In March 2024, Romania reported that the Finns had handed over Uisco-type high-speed boats to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

These watercraft withdraw from the Finnish troops, therefore it was decided to transfer them to Ukraine. They can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h, equipped with a machine gun and grenade launcher.

2023

Delivery of four patrol boats from France

In November 2023, in the French port of Saint-Nazaire, four FPB 98 patrol boats were loaded aboard the Fusion transport vessel for delivery to Ukraine.

Under the contract of 2019, the French must supply 20 such boats. Previous deliveries were carried out according to one scheme to the Romanian port of Constanta, and then by land to the port of Izmail, where FPB 98 is still located.

Since the beginning of the conflict, 52 naval drones have been used to attack Russian ships and territories

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine by September 26, 2023, Ukrainian units have used 52 naval drones to attack Russian ships and territories.

Of these, 44 units were successfully destroyed, but eight were able to cause damage. This was the case with the patrol ships Vasily Bykov and Sergei Kotov, the large landing ship Olenegorsk Miner, the oil depot and the support of the Crimean bridge.

Moreover, the lion's share of attacks fell on the southwestern part of the Black Sea water area, where keyless boats repeatedly tried to hit the ships of the Black Sea Fleet to squeeze them out of the zone and organize a new grain corridor.

During the special operation, the Ukrainian authorities and volunteers presented a lot of different options for naval drones, announcing the start of mass production and imminent use against Russia.

However, in fact, as with dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles, the fate of a significant part of the declared sea drones is still unclear. It was a question to introduce them, but whether they are in production, and not as a prototype.

By September 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine used massively three types of keyless boats: Magura V5, Sea Baby and a jet scooter (something similar to the Jet Ski jet ski). It was they who were observed during the attacks on Sevastopol, the Crimean bridge and the ships of the Black Sea Fleet.

In September 2023, Ukrainian media published personnel of the launch of the Marichka underwater drone, capable of carrying a charge of up to 1000 kg. As the "Russian Engineer" noted, since it was shown against the background of the port of Odessa, it will soon be used to attack.

The danger of this particular drone is that it is underwater, and not semi-submersible, which is associated with the need to overcome the barriers at the Crimean bridge to strike the supports.

If in 2022 and early 2023 attacks were rare, and more like drone tests in combat conditions, then by the beginning of autumn attacks became more meaningful and consistent.

Their massive use allowed Ukrainian troops to diversify the tactics of fighting for dominance at sea. Combined attacks either by UAVs, or BeKami, or missiles allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to hold the initiative, constantly threatening the Russian fleet.

Judging by the variation in the means of defeat, the Ukrainian authorities are pursuing the goal of squeezing Russia out of the Black Sea to their home ports. This will fully control the situation in the water area, as well as provide the necessary advantage for attacks on the Crimea and the bridge. And in the future, this can create a threat not only for the landing operation, but also for Russia's shipping traffic by sea, as well as the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, Rybar wrote.

Assembly of keyless boats transferred to civilian ships that imperceptibly move at sea

In order to secure the production base of Ukraine for the assembly of unsecured boats, in the summer of 2023 the workshops were transferred to container ships and dry cargo ships, inside which sites were equipped for this.

The idea itself is original and belongs to the British: the process takes place in a room closed from unnecessary eyes on a spacious vessel, which no one, except for a narrow circle of people, knows about. It is possible to hide from strikes in the sea under the guise of a merchant ship plowing the water area with the rest.

It is extremely difficult to track such a floating base, and if you also turn off the transponder and remove external identification marks, then you get such a "ghost ship" designed to assemble drones and launch them on the Russian fleet and bases.

Use of ECUs for offshore mine installation

In June 2024, The Wall Street Journal wrote that the Ukrainian military used driverless boats to lay mines near the Crimean ports and basing points of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

According to the WSJ, in this way the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the Pavel Derzhavin patrol ship, the small Samum hovercraft and several other boats and auxiliary ships.

Six cases were recorded with the participation of the Sea Baby drone, which set more than ten mines 2-5 km from the entrance to Sevastopol Bay in September-October 2023.

And then the target of the attack was both "Pavel Derzhavin" and "Samum," but to no avail, since the mines exploded either too early or too late.

Moreover, Italian Manta mines were used for attacks, which were transferred by the Italians in the amount of about fifty in one of the packages of military assistance.

Another Mamai-type BACK was seen once while trying to put mines on October 6, 2023 near Sevastopol, but to no avail.

Turkey laid the second corvette for the Ukrainian Navy

In August 2023, a second MILGEM-type corvette was laid in Turkey for the Ukrainian Navy under an October 2020 contract. The first ship was launched back in 2022 and is now being completed at a shipyard in Istanbul.

Training of Ukrainian divers by British Navy specialists

In July 2023, it became known that divers and mine specialists of the British naval forces began training Ukrainian servicemen to neutralize Russian explosive devices. The combat training process is organized in Scotland and allegedly aimed at "ensuring the safety of Ukrainian citizens and commercial shipping after the end of the conflict."

The event is hosted by sailors from Delta Diving Unit 1 in conjunction with instructors from other countries, NATO including,,, and USA France. Belgium Georgia The training modules cover a wide range of operations, from clearing deep-sea shipping lanes to securing shallow waters and beaches for amphibious raids. Special attention is paid to neutralizing threats in ports, berths and other infrastructure facilities.

To train Ukrainian servicemen, unmanned underwater vehicles equipped with special sensors are used, which allow operators to more accurately identify the threat. After the discovery of a dangerous object, divers begin to neutralize it.

These measures are not the first attempt to train Ukrainian divers. In August 2022, representatives of the British Navy and servicemen of the 6th US Fleet also trained Ukrainians in the operation of underwater unmanned aerial vehicles. After completing the training course, the British promised to transfer six units of these military equipment. Then the former commander of the British Navy, Alan West, assured that this would significantly change the situation in the Odessa region, allow the removal of food from Ukraine and prevent world famine. It's been almost a full year since, but no change has happened.

Arms

Foreign supplies of military equipment

• Supplies of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine

Military drones

Main article: Military drones in Ukraine

Raketas

2024: APU Missile Strike Zone

The nomenclature of missile weapons in the Armed Forces of Ukraine has expanded, especially after the official start of the use of American F-16 fighters, which are carriers of the latest JASSM missiles.

This type of weapon has a wide range of action: from 370 km in the most minimal modification and over 1500 km in the maximum.

In addition to them, there are several dozen ATACMS ballistic missiles in various modifications, which also pose a threat due to speed and flight along a ballistic trajectory.

Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles for September 2024 did not have much left in Ukrainian warehouses - just over a dozen.

Also, the Armed Forces of Ukraine use Neptune missiles and old Soviet S-200.

Troop Control System

During the armed conflict of 2022-2023, VMUs use American and European equipment - Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, Stryker armored personnel carriers, M109 self-propelled guns, Leopard MBT, Panzerhaubice. From the point of view of hardware, this technique is nothing special, having both advantages and disadvantages, wrote the channel "Older than Edda," and self-propelled guns M109, even in the late version of the M109A6, are quite archaic compared, for example, to Russian 2S19M2. The most interesting element of American technology is its inclusion in the tactical link control system, and the preparation of APU units is carried out with the active use of this system.

The Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) control system operates through the infrastructure of the Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS) tactical communication network and the BFT (Blue Force Tracking) satellite network, which provide automated collection of data on the location of their units and their transfer to commanders at the level from the separation (machine) to the brigade. The collected information about the opponent is also received there. This system has been worked out since the beginning of the 1990s and greatly simplifies the management of the battle and the decision to open fire - questions "who do we see this" in the presence of information about the location of their units almost never arise.

This is a practical embodiment of the principle of continuity of management, which is ensured by its stability, constant updating of information and timely decision-making. Time losses are drastically reduced, and the opponent is faced with the need to respond to changes much faster than before, otherwise he will constantly miss moves and receive blows. Inclusion in such a system gives an advantage over an equivalent and even more powerful opponent - if he managed to detect and transmit information about him earlier, then it will be much easier to hit him - at least there will be more time to make a decision and with greater clarity with understanding the situation.

The only weak link in this slender scheme, the absence of aviation from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

2024

Loss of about 1 million people during the conflict with Russia

In total, during the special operation of Russia in Ukraine, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost about 1 million people, during the Kursk adventure - 40 thousand, said Russian Defense Minister Belousov in December 2024.

Reduction in mobilization age from 27 to 25 years

On March 2, 2024, President of Ukraine Zelensky signed a law to reduce the age for mobilization in Ukraine from 27 to 25 years.

90% of APU soldiers play online casinos and bet on sports in the trenches

At the end of March 2024, it became known that 90% of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) suffer from gambling addiction. They play online casinos and bet on sports in trenches.

About the problem, according to RBC, said the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Alexei Goncharenko (included in the Russian Federation in the list of terrorists and extremists). According to him, the popularity of online casinos among Ukrainian soldiers "destroys the morale of the military." In the future, this may turn into various difficulties in peaceful life, since "the money received during the hostilities will be lost," and the soldiers will be left without funds to exist. This, according to Goncharenko, will make them "an ideal target for the criminal world."

90% of soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) suffer from gambling addiction

Nine out of ten frontline soldiers have casino or betting issues. Money is being lost. Then they take loans. And so in a circle, - says Goncharenko.

The deputy proposes to ban military personnel from betting on sports and casinos. According to Goncharenko, special conditions for mortgages should be created for soldiers within the framework of the preferential program "єOselya" (donkey - housing in Ukrainian) and agitate to take it.

The Telegram channel "Politics of the Country" notes that the "epidemic of gambling" in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is announced by the Ukrainian airborne reconnaissance soldier of the 59th brigade Pavel Petrichenko. According to him, the problem appeared after the legalization of online casinos, which turned into an uncontrolled market. Petrichenko proposes to introduce a register and verification of players during martial law, limiting users who receive salaries from military units. It is also said about several cases when citizens of Ukraine who raised money to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine ended up spending these funds in an online casino. The prosecutor's office is investigating these incidents.^[1]

Ukrainian authorities will look for ways to curb gambling among military personnel as concerns grow that gambling activities are undermining morale and posing a security risk. Lawmakers will discuss tightening control over the gambling industry.

NATO convinces Ukraine to increase mobilization for war with Russia

NATO believes that Ukraine needs to continue mobilizing, said the head of the NATO Military Committee, Rob Bauer, speaking in Kyiv on March 21, 2024 during the ongoing armed conflict with Russia.

'You know the war is about everybody. Whether you like it or not, this is about people, about the nation, not about new grenades, not about new armored personnel carriers and tanks. You and I need new soldiers. Soldiers are killed, wounded, so it is necessary to talk about a new call. "

The Armed Forces of Ukraine shoot down the Russian Il-76 with 65 prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, transported for exchange

On January 24, 2024, a Russian military transport aircraft Il-76 crashed in the Korochansky district of the Belgorod region.

A fire broke out at the scene of the fall. On board were 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, whom on that day, as part of the planned exchange with the Ukrainian side, they were preparing to exchange.

The launch of an anti-aircraft guided missile on the Russian board of the Il-76 was from Kharkov from a distance of 130 km.

Ministry of Defence Russia:

"The defeat of the Il-76 was carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the area of ​ ​ the village of Liptsy, Kharkov region, using an anti-aircraft missile system.

Radar means of the Russian Aerospace Forces observed the launch of two Ukrainian missiles.

The Ukrainian leadership knew perfectly well that according to the established practice, today Ukrainian servicemen will be transported by military transport aircraft to the Belgorod airfield for exchange.

Nevertheless, the Nazi Kyiv regime took this step, pursuing the goal of accusing Russia of destroying the Ukrainian military. "

2023

Since the beginning of the conflict, 214,883 people have been killed and 62,000 are missing

Losses of the Ukrainian side as a result of a special military operation of the RF Armed Forces on December 1, 2023:

Over the entire period of the special military operation of Russia, the irretrievable losses of the armed formations of Ukraine amounted to 536,854 people. Of these, 214,883 people were killed.

The irrevocable category also includes 62 thousand missing, prisoners and disabled people.

864,374 people fell into the category of temporarily out of order.

Thus, the total losses of Ukrainian formations exceed 1.4 million people.

During the year, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost 3582 units of equipment or 9.8 units per day

Kpnal "Rubrika from Ledka" prepared an annual report on the losses of APU equipment as a result of hostilities in 2023.

Only documented losses of the APU with photo or video confirmation were taken into account. A significant part of the equipment has established and confirmed geoposition.

In total, the loss of 3582 units of classified military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (9.81 units per day) was confirmed.

Polish President: Ukraine is a supplier of cheap manpower to contain Russia

In an interview with The Washington Post in August 2023, Polish President Andrzej Duda told why the United States should continue to support the authorities in Kyiv. According to him, now the fight against Russia "is cheap, since American soldiers do not die on the battlefield."

The fact that in the West, in principle, Ukrainians are perceived exclusively as consumable material has long been no secret to anyone. The Polish leader only voiced well-known things aloud, in fact, calling Ukraine a supplier of cheap manpower.

Why the Armed Forces of Ukraine are afraid of Russian kamikaze drones "Lancet"

Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) consider Russian kamikaze drones "Lancet" one of the main threats. The Telegraph wrote about this in August 2023. Read more here.

Maintenance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine costs Ukraine $55 billion a year

The maintenance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine annually costs this country 2 trillion hryvnia (almost $55 billion at the exchange rate on August 3, 2023). This was announced in early August 2023 by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal.

According to him, in the current geopolitical situation, the state is supported by financial support from partners, as well as through grants and loans. In particular, at the end of July 2023, the United States allocated a grant to Ukraine in the amount of $1.25 billion. Earlier, the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Budget Issues Roksolan Pidlas said that Ukraine since the beginning of 2023 has received over $25 billion in financial assistance from international partners - Western states and international financial organizations. According to her, in the first six months of 2023, external resources accounted for 49.1% of all revenues to the general fund of the state budget.

In fact, the support of the armed forces and the war cost Ukraine about 2 trillion hryvnia. This is more than the revenue part of the peacetime budget, - said Shmygal.

According to the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, since February 2022, the country's budget from the United States received $20.4 billion. This money is provided as part of a program to support government spending to ensure sustainable public administration in Ukraine, which provides for partial compensation for budget expenditures not related to defense and security. Funds can be used, for example, for salaries to employees of government agencies, social assistance, etc.

Earlier, the Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergey Marchenko said that the deficit of the Ukrainian budget monthly is about $5 billion. At the same time, three quarters of budget expenditures are for military needs. The Ukrainian budget receives two-thirds of the funds thanks to foreign loans and grants.^[2]

Germany is concerned about the crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: torture of prisoners of war

In May 2023, German social networks discuss the story of how war crimes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are hushed up in the Bundeswehr.

The commander of the Multinational Special Training Center, Lieutenant General Andreas Marlov, has been trying to initiate a federal investigation into crimes committed by Ukrainian servicemen training at bases in the cities of Wildflekken and Hammelburg since February 2023.

His requests to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Defense, according to German observers, indicate that Ukrainians regularly demonstrate to German instructors videos and photos of confirmation of torture and reprisals against Russian prisoners of war, and express an open intention to continue punitive operations upon returning from European training grounds.

The general is allegedly concerned that when these facts emerge, the German army will be considered a direct accomplice in the already accomplished and future war crimes. At the same time, all the appeals of the general remained unanswered.

The scandal worried the German authorities, who, instead of investigating this information, began to look for the source of the leak and threaten the media.

Planning a counter-offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during military games in Germany

In December 2023, the Washington Post - the unofficial mouthpiece of the American intelligence community - published an article in two parts about the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the military special operation of Russia and the reasons for its failure.

According to the newspaper, in advance in Wiesbaden - the center of the American occupation forces in Germany after World War II - NATO and Ukrainian generals held eight military board games, and during this process an offensive plan was developed: a massive concentrated strike supported by artillery on Russian positions in the Zaporizhzhya region in order to reach the Sea of ​ ​ Azov in two to three months. At the same time, it was planned to reach Rabotino in the first day. Estimated losses were supposed to be 30-40% of the advancing grouping, but, most likely, even less. At the same time, fresh brigades trained and armed in NATO countries, devoid of Soviet thinking in their heads, should have been attacked, since it was assumed that NATO tactics were ideal simply because they were NATO. At the same time, Ukrainian MTRs trained by "green berets" were to operate in the rear of Russia. The then American chief of the US General Staff, Mark Millie, said that no Russian should go to bed without fear of having his throat slashed at night. The operation was supposed to begin in April, until Russia prepared the defensive lines.

But the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny did not listen to the "white masters," began to demand more weapons, said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine were not ready in April, and instead of one strike he decided to attack in different directions in order to make the breadth of the front a problem for the Russians even despite the fact that the number of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was larger. Also, instead of a massive offensive, as the Americans advised, Zaluzhny chose the tactics of small groups, similar to the operation in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022, "to save more lives," although it is the Americans who are sure that with a single roll-up of losses would be less.

In the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 2,000 foreigners are fighting without taking into account instructors and PMCs. 5,000 mercenaries destroyed by the Russian army

In February 2023, the American magazine Vice dedicated a whole article to the anniversary of the creation of the "International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine." After communicating with mercenaries and insiders in Ukrainian intelligence, journalists came to curious conclusions.

As of February 2023, about 2,000 foreigners are in the combat units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This includes not only the International Legion, but also the Carpathian Sich battalion, the Georgian National Legion, the Kraken national battalion and other units.

This list does not include personnel of instructor groups and foreign PMCs like Mozart, Trident Defense, I.C.E, Atlas Global Aid, Wolverines and other similar structures.

According to statistics from the first year of the SVO, about 20% of the mercenaries of the International Legion left Ukraine after the first artillery shelling. Almost all mercenaries recruited to the legion in March-April 2022 suspended contracts after 3-6 months of hostilities.

With reference to Ukrainian intelligence data, Vice reports the total losses of the International Legion of only 100 people since the unit was founded. This looks like only a weak attempt to embellish the realities, the Rybar channel wrote: only according to the results of the bombing of the Yavorov training ground on March 13, 2022, at least 35 mercenaries were liquidated.

In February 2023, the International Legion has a shortage of personnel. According to Vice, the main reasons are the unusually cold winter for foreigners, the vacation season, the unwillingness of the "soldier of fortune" for long-term hostilities and a decrease in the number of adventurers.

"There are fewer military tourists and thrill seekers, the romantics are gone," said escaped American mercenary Karl Larson. However, the journalists of the publication note that soon the flow of recruits to the International Legion may increase due to the return of mercenaries "from winter vacations" at the end of the cold weather or in the event of a new offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was the case in August-September 2022 in the light of Ukrainian offensives in the Kherson and Kharkov regions.

Later, in July 2023 Ministry of Defence Russia , they confirmed the figure of 2,000 active mercenaries in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but cited completely different numbers of losses in their ranks:

• Since the beginning of the special operation of Russia in February 2022, 11,675 mercenaries from 84 countries have officially arrived in Ukraine to participate in the battles;
• Most foreign mercenaries - more than 2,600 - came to Ukraine from Poland;
• About 5,000 mercenaries were killed in the battles in Ukraine, mainly from the United States, Canada and European countries, about 5,000 more escaped from Ukraine;
• More than 2,000 mercenaries continue to operate in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;

• Due to the catastrophic losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Kyiv increased the recruitment of mercenaries in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East;
• Ukraine in the last month has launched the recruitment of mercenaries in Argentina, Brazil, Afghanistan, Iraq and in US-controlled areas of Syria;
• The recruitment of foreign mercenaries by Kyiv is carried out with the assistance of Western special services, primarily the CIA and PMCs controlled by it;
• Kyiv intensified recruitment activities in the United States and Canada due to a multiple drop in interest in Poland and Britain;
• Commanders of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine operating on the front line are not held accountable for losses among mercenaries.

157 thousand killed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the conflict with Russia

In February 2023, in the United States, retired Colonel McGregor said that at a meeting between the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny and Milli, Zaluzhny told US Army General Milli that the irretrievable losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the time of the meeting amounted to 257,000 people (killed, missing, captured).

At the same time, in the Turkish press, citing sources of the Mossad, a layout of the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the beginning of the North Caucasus Military District was published. According to Turkish media statements, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are:

• Irrevocable APU - 157,000 people
• Irrevocable NATO - 8052
• Injured - 234,000
• Prisoners - 17,230
• Aviation - 302 aircraft and 212 helicopters
• Air defense - 497 air defense systems and radar
• Armored vehicles - 6320 tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, MRAP, etc.
• Artillery - 7360 units of towed artillery, mortars, self-propelled guns, MLRS, OTRK

2022

3rd place in the list of the largest importers of weapons

Some units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine use chemical weapons

In January 2023, another confirmation appeared that some units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Bakhmut direction use chemical weapons.

The video is filmed by the commander of a separate tactical group of air reconnaissance "Magyar Birds." The personnel shows how Ukrainian fighters are preparing small unmanned aerial vehicles, which are designed to drop homemade ammunition, which are most likely equipped with chemical weapons.

The shells are made of homemade thin-walled cylinders filled with some kind of chemical substance. This is indicated by the mass of contents placed on the ammunition - and each of them is different and averages 700 grams. The head fuse is not like a tilting device designed to detonate and is more like chemical mixing or spraying devices.

Well, the main sign is that the shells are stored in the refrigerator in order to prevent thermal expansion of the substance and violation of the containment tightness. Ordinary shells are not stored in the refrigerator.

Chemical weapons have already been used in the Bakhmut direction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as a result of which the soldiers of the Wagner PMC received chemical burns. By a successful coincidence, they remained alive.

And although the use of chemical warfare agents in the past few years has become associated with fakes mainly of the White Helmets in Syria, the fact of chemical attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Wagner PMC units in the Bakhmut area is indisputable.

With a high degree of probability, these ammunition are filled with HCN hydrocyanic acid. This is a poisonous volatile liquid, so in the video it is stored in the refrigerator. 85-90% of poisoning cases end in death. The notorious "potassium cyanide" from detective stories is a salt of hydrocyanic acid. And the Germans during World War II, with the help of HCN, made the poison "Cyclone-B," which killed prisoners of concentration camps.

Kamikaze drones are designed primarily to defeat the enemy inside the premises (and we are talking about city battles in Soledar). This is how the concentration of deadly poison grows in the air.

When vapors are inhaled at concentrations greater than 0.4 mg/L, HCN causes fatal poisoning. If the concentration of the substance in the air exceeds 11 mg/l, then intoxication with vapors is possible even transdermally. There have been no rules for waging war in practice for a long time.

The means of protection against hydrocyanic acid is a gas mask.

The European Union allocated funds for the creation of a cyber laboratory for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

On December 2, 2022, the European Union announced funding for a project to create a special cyber laboratory for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are talking about the supply of both software and equipment.

With such support, Ukraine can build and develop the cyber defense potential of its armed forces to detect intrusions into information systems, counter cyber attacks and strengthen overall information security capabilities, the statement said.

A cyber laboratory is a learning and research environment consisting of several virtual and physical spaces. They can be used to create realistic training scenarios in order to improve the practical skills of cyber defense specialists.

It is said that on December 15, 2021, the European Union adopted a assistance program under the European Peace Fund to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the amount of €31 million. Some of these funds are aimed at ensuring security in cyberspace.

The architecture of the cyber laboratory allows you to create a realistic virtual environment that requires trainees to respond to cyber attacks and simulate protection in real time. The platform makes it possible to detect and investigate vulnerabilities in various network systems. It is noted that the cyber laboratory helps the Ukrainian military to develop skills in detecting, monitoring and countering cyber attacks. The applied technologies make it possible to create a realistic virtual environment in which various events can be modeled in real time. The cyber laboratory opened in Kyiv on December 2, 2022. It is expected that the new structure will help employees of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare for possible attacks in the Internet space.^[3]

Start of military training at a training ground in the Czech Republic

In December 2022, training of Ukrainian servicemen began at the Libava training ground in the Czech Republic. The decision by the Czech authorities was made very quickly. Not least because Prague hopes for compensation for the $42 million that Czech taxpayers will have to spend on training the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Training of Ukrainian soldiers will affect mechanized units and special professions. By the end of 2023, it is planned to hold five four-week sessions, each of which will be attended by up to 800 military personnel. Ukraine

European Commission data: More than 100 thousand Ukrainian soldiers died during the conflict

The losses of Ukraine since the beginning of the special military operation amounted to over 100 thousand soldiers. Such an assessment appeared in a statement by the European Commission at the end of November 2022.

Support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the French PMC and the Luxembourg intelligence company

The French, in addition to open military assistance to Ukraine in the form of supplies of equipment and weapons, coordinate the work of the state PMC DCI, which is engaged in the preparation of Ukrainian special forces in France, Poland and Ukraine.

The second area of ​ ​ work was aerial reconnaissance together with the Luxembourg company CAE Aviation. The company operates reconnaissance aircraft in the Black Sea to monitor the activity of the RF Armed Forces.

Data from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: 61 thousand dead, 49 thousand wounded

In a speech by the head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation Sergei Shoigu on September 20, 2022, it was reported that the losses of Ukraine amount to more than 100 thousand people who died 61,207, another 49,368 were wounded. More than 2 thousand foreign mercenaries died.

Countries that have allocated the largest military assistance to Ukraine

Training of the Ukrainian military in Britain and Spain

As the Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported in September 2022, Ukrainian servicemen will undergo training in Spain - just as it is already being done in Britain (pictured).

The training center will operate in Zaragoza, where about 600 Ukrainian troops have already arrived for treatment and recovery. Their training program includes training on tanks (perhaps we are talking about armored vehicles) and missile systems, as well as military medicine and sapper work. At the same time, weapons and equipment will be used in the training process, which will then be used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield, as well as simulators and transport of the Spanish army.

Russian Armed Forces destroyed: 280 aircraft, 151 helicopters, 4592 tanks and armored fighting vehicles

By August 31, 2022, according to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, since the beginning of the special military operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, the following has been destroyed:

• 280 aircraft,
• 151 helicopters,
• 1844 unmanned aerial vehicles,
• 371 anti-aircraft missile systems,
• 4,592 tanks and other armored fighting vehicles,
• 822 multiple launch rocket fighting vehicles,
• 3360 field artillery and mortar guns, and
• 5155 units of special military automotive equipment.

US announces $2.98 billion in military aid to Ukraine

In August 2022, US President Biden announced the allocation of the largest package of military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of $2.98 billion.

The number of dead servicemen of Ukraine during the special operation of the Russian Federation exceeded 76 thousand people, wounded - 42 thousand

In August 2022 , the media allegedly reported the response of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny to the head of the National Security and Defense Council Danilov, which refers to the number of dead Ukrainian servicemen.

According to the document, as of July 1, 2022, more than 76,000 Ukrainian troops were killed, and more than 42,000 people were wounded. More than 7,000 people were captured.

On June 27, 2022, the Deputy Minister of Information of the DPR announced that Ukrainian troops had lost a total of more than 50 thousand dead.

Increase in the number of troops from 430 thousand to 550 thousand people due to mobilization

By the beginning of the special military operation (SVO) of Russia, the troops of Ukraine totaled 209 thousand people as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 102 thousand - theroboron, up to 120-130 thousand (in total) - NSU, GPSU, Special communications, special transport service, etc. For the circle - 430-440 thousand people. This value included civilian personnel (up to 100 thousand people). That is, everyone in general.

Until April 2022, inclusive, with three waves of mobilization - for 60 thousand, 60 thousand and 70 thousand people - 190 thousand people were called up (officially). At the same time, the losses of Ukrainian troops as of May 10, 2022 amounted to at least 40-50 thousand servicemen (killed, wounded and prisoners). Also a high percentage of desertion: at least 20-30 thousand people.

That is, according to the results of mobile events, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had up to 550 thousand people. Including numerous civilian personnel.

In addition, from May 15, the fourth wave of mobilization is expected, with the help of which it is planned to attract, according to various sources, another 70 to 100 thousand people (in total, the mobilization will affect 260-290 thousand people by summer). As a result, there will be up to 620-650 thousand people in service. In general, everyone.

Of these, active bayonets (that is, those who directly conduct hostilities) will amount to 150 thousand people (25%). Including more or less prepared active bayonets as part of well-coordinated units - 60-70 thousand people (10%).

As in Russia in the Civil War was. Especially at the final stage, when 100 thousand of the five million Red Army actually fought, transferred from the front to the front.

1900 artillery units, 600 MLRS installations, 850 mortars

At the time of the start of the Russian operation in Ukraine, there were about 1900 units of 122 and 152-mm artillery, more than 600 MLRS installations (380 Gradov, 99 Hurricanes, 80 Smerches) and over 850 large-caliber mortars.

2020: US military aid worth $284 million

2018:852 tanks

2014: The beginning of the creation of three defense lines in the Donbass 600 km long

On October 10, 2014, while in Severodonetsk, President of Ukraine Poroshenko announced that the first, second and third lines of defense were being built on his orders.

On November 7, 2014, journalists were shown what such fortified areas represent:

"Facilities in the Kurakhovo area were chosen for the demonstration. In general, it is envisaged that there will be three such lines of defense. The first is on the contact line. The second is 15-20 kilometers further from the front line. Work on the third defensive line has not yet begun.

The first line of fortifications is practically no different from the second - except that they shoot on the first line. Both the first and second consist of so-called platoon strongholds. There are about two hundred of them on two lines. These are defensive fortifications with checkpoints, trenches, places for anti-aircraft missile systems and tanks. In addition, this is also a number of trenches, blocked slots, dugouts, where soldiers can hide from shells and conduct targeted fire on the enemy.

The length of each defense line is approximately 410 kilometers. But this does not mean that such points will be located along the entire length. Their locations were determined in the General Staff, based on strategic directions and features of the area. They can be at a distance from each other along the line of both 5 and 20 kilometers.

Now in sector "A" - in the area of ​ ​ Severodonetsk, Bakhmutki - work on the second defensive line is 30% completed.

In sector "B," where the presentation of objects for the media was held, everything was almost 100% done. Of the 32 platoon strongholds, work was carried out at the 31st.

In sector "C" - in the Debaltseve area - work is carried out mainly on the front line. At the second turn of work, only 13% were completed.

In sector "M" - Mariupol region - 30% of the work on the second line of strengthening has been completed. "

On June 18, 2015, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine announced almost 100% readiness of the three defense lines. The total number of fortifications is 268, their length is 600 kilometers.

2013

2012: Concept of reducing the number of military personnel from 193 thousand to 100 thousand people

As the publication "Mirror of the Week" reported in 2012, the reduction of the Ukrainian army is provided for by the Concept of Reform and Development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine until 2017, developed by the Ministry of Defense. The concept provided that the number of military personnel in the Armed Forces (according to the publication, out of 192 thousand people listed in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, 144 thousand are military personnel and 48 thousand are civilian personnel) will be reduced to 70 thousand by 2017. It is also planned to cancel military service by 2017 and switch to a contractual basis.

In September 2012, it became known that the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is planned to be approximately halved by 2017: from 193 thousand to 100 thousand people. This was stated at a press conference by the representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the republic Igor Nikolaenko. The upcoming reductions, as the agency notes, Nikolaenko explained by the fact that it is necessary to take into account "the tasks that in the current conditions are set for the army"^[4].

After 2017, as the representative of the General Staff said, reductions in the number of the army are no longer planned.

2009: Sharp reduction in military equipment

2008: Plan for the transition of the APU to a contractual basis

The leadership of Ukraine planned to transfer the army to a fully contractual basis when Viktor Yushchenko was president. However, these plans were not implemented.

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2007: Reduction in the number of APUs by 150 thousand people in 3 years

In 2012, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Dmitry Salamatin told Interfax-Ukraine that from 2004 to 2007, the Ukrainian army was reduced by about 150 thousand people. He also noted that a number of previous plans to reform the Armed Forces were failed due to lack of funds in the context of the economic crisis.

Notes