Operational Command East

When Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1992, there were three Soviet military districts on its territory. These were the Kyiv Military District, Odessa Military District and the Carpathian Military District. In January 1998, the Southern Operational Command was created from the Odessa MD and the eastern part of Kyiv MD.[2] In 2005, the Southern Operational Association was created from the Southern Operational Command.[3] In October 2013, Operational Command South was created from the Southern Operational Association. In January 2015, Operational Command East was established with control over forces in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia Oblasts. These areas were previously controlled by Operation Command South. The command is led by Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev.[4] Units under the operational control of OC East are currently fighting in the War in Donbass.

Structure of the Operational Command East in 2017 as per the best available Ukrainian language sources.

Operational Command East has operational command of ground force units in Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, and Kharkiv oblasts.

• Operational Command East, Dnipro
  • 17th Tank Brigade, Kryvyi Rih
  • 53rd Mechanized Brigade, Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk
  • 54th Mechanized Brigade, Bakhmut
  • 92nd Mechanized Brigade, Kluhyno-Bashkyrivka
  • 93rd Mechanized Brigade, Cherkaske
  • 55th Artillery Brigade, Zaporizhia
  • 1039th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, Hvardiiske
  • 121st Signal Regiment, Cherkaske
  • 91st Engineer Regiment, Okhtyrka
  • 532nd Maintenance Regiment, Cherkaske
  • 502nd Electronic Warfare Battalion, Cherkaske
  • 74th Reconnaissance Battalion, Cherkaske
  • 133rd Security & Service Battalion, Dnipro
  • 188th Command & Intelligence Center, Dnipro
  • 368th Information & Signal Center, Dnipro
  • 78th Logistic Support Battalion, Kryvyi Rih
  • 227th Transport Battalion, Kryvyi Rih

Additionally the following major ground combat formations of other branches of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are based in the area of Operational Command East:

• Air Assault Forces:
  • 25th Airborne Brigade, in Hvardiiske
  • 81st Airmobile Brigade, in Druzhkivka
• Air Forces:
  • 138th Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade, in Dnipro
  • 301st Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Nikopol
• Territorial Defense Forces
  • 108th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade
  • 109th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade
  • 110th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade
  • 111th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade
  • 113th Independent Territorial Defense Brigade

• Kharkov Military District