Military of Kievan Rus'

Tribal militia known as voyi formed the basis of the army in Kievan Rus'[1] until the tax reform of Olga of Kiev in the middle of the 10th century.

[citation needed] The regiments of city militia, raised by the decision of the veche,[4] were formed in the 11th century.

[citation needed] Before Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' in the 13th century, a Prince would be accompanied by his druzhyna, a small retinue of heavy cavalry,[5] who would often fight dismounted (eq.

[6] However, these squads, as a rule, did not exceed the number of several hundred men, and were unsuitable for united actions under a single command.

While militia infantry still existed, they were, from the 14th century onward, mostly armed with ranged weapons, and delegated auxiliary duties, such as defending cities.