Structure of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

[5] The law 'On the Foundations of National Resistance' (Закон «Про основи національного спротиву», Section IX, Article 2.

It is headed by the President (Голова Ради національної безпеки і оборони України - Верховний Головнокомандувач Збройних сил України) and includes the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Prime Minister and other members of the Council of Ministers, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Chief of the National Police and other high-ranking officials.

In case of war Article 7 of the Ukrainian Law "On the Armed Forces of Ukraine"[7] (Про Збройні Сили України) prescribes the formation of a War Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Ставка Верховного Головнокомандувача) 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 February 25 with the following composition of the War Staff:[8] The highest-ranking military officer is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Головнокомандувач Збройних сил України) in the rank of a full General / Admiral.

Apparatus [Office] of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Апарат головнокомандувача Збройних Сил України) The position of the C-in-C AFU has been established by the Law "On the Transformation of the Joint Command and Control System of the Defence Forces" ("Про трансформацію системи об'єднаного керівництва силами оборони")[10] 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.

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 C-in-C 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.

[12] Structures directly subordinated to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (Структури безпосереднього підпорядкування Міністерства оборони України) Ukrainian Ministry of Defence Apparatus (Апарат Міністерства оборони України), Kyiv State Aviation Scientific Development Institute (Державний науково-дослідний інститут авіації), Kyiv State Scientific Test Center of the AFU (Державний науково-випробувальний центр Збройних Сил України) (MU А4444), Honcharivsk, Chernihiv Oblast Central Scientific Research Institute of the AFU (Центральний науково-дослідний інститут Збройних Сил України) (MU А0202), Kyiv Central Military Weaponry and Equipment Scientific Research Institute of the AFU (Центральний науково-дослідний інститут озброєння і військової техніки ЗСУ) (MU А4566), Kyiv Scientific Research Center of the Rocket Forces and Field Artillery (Науково-дослідний центр ракетних військ і артилерії) (MU А????

), Sumy, Sumy Oblast Scientific Research Center for Humanitarian Matters of the AFU (Науково-дослідний центр гуманітарних проблем Збройних Сил України) (MU А2350), Kyiv Central Directorate for Acquisition and Delivery of Material Supplies of the AFU (Центральне управління розвитку та супроводження матеріального забезпечення ЗСУ), Kyiv Codification Bureau (Бюро кодифікації) (MU А2387), Kyiv Military Delegations of the MoU (Військові представництва Міністерства оборони) other directly subordinated units under the Ministry (iнші безпосередньо підпорядковані структури) The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Начальник Генерального штабу Збройних Сил України) oversees the strategic planning and force generation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Chief of the General Staff (Начальник Генерального штабу) - Lieutenant-General Shaptala, Serhiy Oleksandrovich [First] Deputy Chief of the General Staff (Заступник Начальника ГШ) - Lieutenant-General Bokiy, Viktor Hrihorovich Deputy Chief of the General Staff (Заступник Начальника ГШ) - Brigadier General Kirilenko, Oleksandr Mykolayovich Deputy Chief of the General Staff (Заступник Начальника ГШ) - Colonel Koval', Volodimir Valeriyovich General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Генеральний штаб Збройних Сил України), Kyiv The following are units directly subordinated to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (частини безпосереднього підпорядкування Генеральному штабу ЗС України) Military Education Establishments and Units (directly under the MoD) (військові навчальні заклади та частини (які не входять до видів Збройних Сил України)) 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.

[19] Signals and Cybernetic Security Troops Command (Командування Військ зв'язку та кібербезпеки) (MU А0106), Kyiv training establishments and units (навчальні заклади (частини)) under other services and troops (iнші види та роди військ (сил)) Since January 1, 2022 [20] the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff.

Medical Forces Command (Командування Медичних сил) (MU А0928), Kyiv training establishments and units (навчальні заклади та частини) medical forces under other services and arms (iнші види та роди військ (сил)) The military police (named Military Law Enforcement Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (Військова служба правопорядку Збройних Сил України), abbreviated VSP (ВСП) in Ukrainian) is a special military service outside of General Staff control and subordinated directly to the Ministry of Defence.