Ukraine’s military has undergone some drastic changes over the last few years. The “Maidan Revolution” was the beginning of a new age for the eastern bloc nation and their western allies. What started as a military that was structured and heavily influenced by Soviet-era tactics and equipment, has gradually grown into a modern organization that is modeled after and strives to be a part of NATO. Ukraine is even in the early stages of adopting a new U.S. produced M4 style service rifle that can be switched between 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×39 (Russian), a clear admission to branching themselves out to the modern era and their NATO allies.
The Russian incursion into the Crimean Peninsula sparked a massive rebellion in the Donetsk region by “Separatists” who self identify as Russian citizens. This lead to what Ukraine has dubbed the ever-continuous ATO (Anti-Terrorism Operation), which essentially encompasses the entirety of the conflict between the two nations. The general Ukrainian military and other specialized anti-terror units have become extremely proficient at conducting direct action operations against suspected Separatist militants as well as organized crime elements residing in the region.
With the NATO support flowing into the country and numerous western military advisers giving the Ukrainian military much-needed updates, their forces are becoming extremely proficient in the face of a perpetual war on their border. The following video is of a Ukrainian counter-terrorism unit conducting training and going through the various types of exercises they routinely engage in. It’s a far cry from Spetznaz rolls and other odd Russian gimmicks seen all too often in that part of the world. Notice the modern equipment, weapon setups, accessories and tactics; this is truly an impressive transformation considering that only a few years ago the entire nation had undergone a large-scale reformation while suffering a foreign incursion.
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Ukraine’s military has undergone some drastic changes over the last few years. The “Maidan Revolution” was the beginning of a new age for the eastern bloc nation and their western allies. What started as a military that was structured and heavily influenced by Soviet-era tactics and equipment, has gradually grown into a modern organization that is modeled after and strives to be a part of NATO. Ukraine is even in the early stages of adopting a new U.S. produced M4 style service rifle that can be switched between 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×39 (Russian), a clear admission to branching themselves out to the modern era and their NATO allies.
The Russian incursion into the Crimean Peninsula sparked a massive rebellion in the Donetsk region by “Separatists” who self identify as Russian citizens. This lead to what Ukraine has dubbed the ever-continuous ATO (Anti-Terrorism Operation), which essentially encompasses the entirety of the conflict between the two nations. The general Ukrainian military and other specialized anti-terror units have become extremely proficient at conducting direct action operations against suspected Separatist militants as well as organized crime elements residing in the region.
With the NATO support flowing into the country and numerous western military advisers giving the Ukrainian military much-needed updates, their forces are becoming extremely proficient in the face of a perpetual war on their border. The following video is of a Ukrainian counter-terrorism unit conducting training and going through the various types of exercises they routinely engage in. It’s a far cry from Spetznaz rolls and other odd Russian gimmicks seen all too often in that part of the world. Notice the modern equipment, weapon setups, accessories and tactics; this is truly an impressive transformation considering that only a few years ago the entire nation had undergone a large-scale reformation while suffering a foreign incursion.
Featured image depicts the Ukrainian Army conducting counter-terrorism training operations. Image and video courtesy of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
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