[This report was first published by The Jamestown Foundation]
Introduction
Ukraine has been at war with Russia since the occupation of Crimea and Russian incursions in the
Donbas in 2014, and on a large scale since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. From 2014 to 2022, Ukraine’s armed forces had grown to be the largest and strongest in Europe, with a total end strength of 2.2 million (900,000 active personnel and 1.3 million reservists). Currently, the Ukrainian forces comprise 131 maneuver brigades of various types, supported by 15 artillery brigades, four army aviation brigades, 14 antiaircraft brigades or regiments, 105 fixed-wing combat aircraft, 109 rotary-wing combat aircraft, and eight maritime patrol craft. All combat formations rely heavily on electronic warfare and the use of unmanned platforms. This listing omits the numerous independent battalions and detachments that comprise the Ukrainian order of battle, as well as combat support and service support formations. Some units shown are forming or have sustained battle losses and may not be at full strength.