Operational Command North

Operational Command North is a command of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in northern Ukraine. It was formed in 2013 from the Western Operational Command and Territorial Directorate North by reforming the 13th Army Corps.

The operation command traces its history back to Territorial Directorate "North", which was created on the basis of Northern Territorial Operational Command by Directive No.322/1/010 of the Minister of Defence of Ukraine on 20 May 2005.

The previous Northern Operational Command was created in 1996 and based on the 1st Army Corps that continued the traditions of the 1st Guard Red-Banner Army. It encompassed six oblasts: Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy. The command consisted of units and military formations of the 8th Army Corps.

On 15 August 2005, temporary Chief of the Directorate Colonel Yuriy Horoliuk signed the first Order within the Directive. This day is considered the creation date for the Directorate. The Territorial Directorate "North" was the first to switch to a new system of control.

History


When Ukraine gained independence, the 1st Guards Army was stationed on Ukrainian territory with its headquarters at Chernihiv. During the early 1990s, the army was reformed into the 1st Army Corps. In 1996, the Northern Operational and Territorial Command was formed from the corps. At the beginning of 1998, the command was split into the Northern Operational Command, managing operations in the area. The Northern Territorial Command controlled other functions. In August 2005, Territorial Directorate "North" was established from the Northern Operational Command. The Directorate was responsible for territory spanning over 196000 km2, in which 15,000,000 people lived in 2008. The oblasts (provinces) of Kharkiv, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy were all are under the Directorate control. The Directorate was in charge of the 7 oblasts and Kyiv City Military Commissariat, 135 regional military commissariats, 530 military units and bases. As of 2008, the mission of the directorate was to organize territorial defence, recruit conscripts and contract soldiers and manage infrastructure.

In November 2013, the directorate was reformed into Operational Command North. The command absorbed units of the disbanded 13th Army Corps.

Organization


Operational Command North includes ground force units in Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Chernihiv, and Cherkasy oblasts, as well as in the city of Kyiv.


 * OC North Ukrainian Ground Forces insignia.svg Operational Command North, Chernihiv, unit number A4583.
 * 1 ОТБр.svg 1st Separate Tank Siver Brigade, Honcharivske, unit number A1815.
 * 4th Tank Brigade Patch.png 4th Tank Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, Honcharivske, unit number A7015.
 * 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade SSI (no tab).svg 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Prince Konstantin Ostrozky, Zviahel, unit number А0409
 * 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade SSI (no tab).svg 31st Separate Mechanized Brigade, Zhytomyr, unit number A4773
 * 32nd_Separate_Mechanized_Brigade.png 32nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, unit number A4784
 * 44th_Separate_Mechanized_Brigade.png 44th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Nizhyn, unit number A4723
 * 47 Logo 23 RGB Black.png 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade "Magura", Kharkiv, unit number A4699
 * 58th Separate Motorized Brigade SSI (no tab).svg 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, Konotop, unit number A137
 * 72 ОМБр.svg 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians, Bila Tserkva, unit number A2167
 * 110 brigade.png 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Marko Bezruchko, Cherkasy, unit number А4007
 * 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade SSI (no tab).svg 115th Separate Mechanized Brigade, Blahodatne, unit number A4053
 * 26 ОАБр к.svg 26th Artillery Brigade named after Major General Roman Dashkevich, Berdychiv, unit number А3091
 * 48th Separate Artillery Brigade.png 48th Separate Artillery Brigade, Poltava
 * 49arty.png 49th Separate Artillery Brigade, Chernihiv, unit number A0157
 * 1129 ЗРП к.svg 1129th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, Bila Tserkva, unit number A1232
 * 5-й окремий полк зв'язку.png 5th Signal Regiment, Chernihiv, unit number А2995
 * 223952200px 12ins.png 12th Engineer Regiment, Zviahel, unit number А3814
 * 50-й РВБат (нн).png 50th Maintenance Regiment, Huiva, unit number A1586
 * Нарукавний знак 12-й окремий танковий батальйон.png 12th Separate Tank Battalion, Honcharivske, unit number A0932
 * 20 окремий батальйон радіоелектронної боротьби.png 20th Separate Electronic Warfare Battalion, Huiva, unit number A1262
 * 23ОСБ.png 23rd Rifle Battalion, Kiev, unit number A4438
 * 33riflebat.png 33rd Rifle Battalion, Putyvl, unit number A4026
 * Емблема 54 ОРБ.png 54th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion named after Mykhailo Tysha, Zviahel, unit number A2076
 * 60riflebat.png 60th Rifle Battalion, unit number A4459
 * 134th Security and Support Battalion.png 134th Security & Service Battalion, Chernihiv, unit number A1624
 * 181st Separate Material Support Battalion, Zviahel, unit number А2925
 * 211th Special Purpose Battalion.png 211th Special Operations Battalion, Sumy, unit number А4270
 * 226th Transport Battalion, Berdychiv, unit number A2927
 * 376guardsbat.png 376th Guards Battalion
 * 6th Combined Detachment.webp 6th Combined Attack Drone Detachment "Vij", Kyiv, unit number A4583
 * 90th Command & Intelligence Center, in Chernihiv, unit number А1590
 * Regional Radioelectronic Intelligence (REI) Center, in Chernihiv, unit number A2622
 * 121st Maneuverable REI Center, Chernihiv, unit number A1783
 * 122nd REI Center, Chuguev, unit number A1993

Additional forces
The following formations of other branches of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, respectively the general staff of the Ukrainian ground forces, are based in the area of Operational Command North and can be assigned to the command as needed:


 * 101st Separate General Staff Security Brigade SSI.svg 101st General Staff Guard Brigade, in Kyiv


 * Ground Forces:
 * Separate Regiment of the President of Ukraine.svg Presidential Brigade, in Kyiv
 * 3ошбр logo.svg 3rd Assault Brigade, in Kyiv
 * I 5 storm reg.png 5th Assault Brigade, in Konotop
 * 18th Separate Army Aviation Brigade SSI (no tab).svg 18th Army Aviation Brigade, in Poltava
 * 27 ОРеАБр.svg 27th Rocket Artillery Brigade, in Sumy
 * 43rd Separate Artillery Brigade SSI (no tab).svg 43rd Artillery Brigade, in Pyriatyn
 * Ємблема 107РАБ.png 107th Rocket Artillery Brigade, in Kremenchuk
 * 1121st Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment (Training), in Desna


 * Air Assault Forces:
 * 46th airmobile brigade patch.png 46th Airmobile Brigade, in Poltava
 * 71st Jäger Brigade.png 71st Jaeger Brigade, in Kremenchuk
 * 77th airmobile brigade.png 77th Airmobile Brigade, in Zhytomyr
 * 95 ОДШБр к.svg 95th Air Assault Brigade, in Zhytomyr
 * 148 ОГСАДн к.svg 148th Artillery Brigade, in Zhytomyr
 * 132 ОРБ к.svg 132nd Intelligence Battalion, in Zhytomyr
 * 135 ОБУ ДШВ ЗСУ.png 135th Command and Support Battalion, in Zhytomyr
 * 170th Logistic Battalion, in Zhytomyr


 * Air Force:
 * 96th Anti-Aircraft Brigade emblem 2022 01.png 96th Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade, in Danylivka
 * 138-а радіотехнічна бригада.svg 138th Radio Technical Brigade, in Vasylkiv
 * Емблема 156-го зенітно-ракетного полку ЗСУ.jpg 156th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Zolotonosha
 * 210th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, in Uman
 * 31 ОПЗ та РТЗ.png 31st Communication Regiment, in Kyiv
 * 2204th Electronic Warfare Battalion, in Vasylkiv


 * Special Operations Forces:
 * 99th Command and Support Battalion SSI.svg 99th Headquarters and Support Battalion, in Brovary
 * I sf 16info.png 16th Information and Psychological Operations Center, in Huiva
 * I sf 72info.png 72nd Information and Psychological Operations Center, in Brovary
 * 142training.png 142nd Training and Education Center, in Berdychiv


 * Territorial Defense Forces
 * 1st Separate Brigade of Special Purpose.png 1st Special Purpose Brigade, in Kyiv
 * Нашивка 112-ої окремої бригади територіальної оборони ЗСУ (місто Київ).svg 112th Territorial Defence Brigade "City of Kyiv"
 * 114th Territorial Brigade Badge.png 114th Territorial Defence Brigade "Kyiv Oblast"
 * [[File:Нашивка 115-ої окремої бригади територіальної оборони ЗСУ (Житомирська область).svg|25px]] 115th Territorial Defence Brigade "Zhytomyr"
 * [[File:Нашивка 116-ої окремої бригади територіальної оборони ЗСУ (Полтавська область).svg|25px]] 116th Territorial Defence Brigade "Poltava"
 * 117th Territorial Brigade Badge.png 117th Territorial Defence Brigade "Sumy"
 * [[File:Нашивка 118-ої окремої бригади територіальної оборони ЗСУ (Черкаська область).svg|25px]] 118th Territorial Defence Brigade "Cherkasy"
 * [[File:Нашивка 119-ої окремої бригади територіальної оборони ЗСУ (Чернігівська область).svg|25px]] 119th Territorial Defence Brigade "Chernihiv"
 * Нашивка 241-ої окремої бригади територіальної оборони ЗСУ.svg 241st Territorial Defence Brigade "Kyiv"
 * 4th Infantry Battalion "Zhytomyr"
 * 8th Infantry Battalion "Kyiv Oblast"
 * 13th Infantry Battalion "Poltava"
 * 15th Infantry Battalion "Sumy"
 * 20th Infantry Battalion "Cherkasy"
 * 22nd Infantry Battalion "Chernihiv"
 * Infantry Battalion "Kyiv City"

Commanders
This table includes commanders of Northern Operational Command (1992–2005), Territorial Directorate "North" (2005–2013) and Operational Command North (2014–).

Commanders

 * Lieutenant General Valentyn Boryskin (1992 - 1996)
 * Colonel General Viktor Kolotov (1996 - 1998)
 * Colonel General Oleh Shustenko (2000 - 2005)
 * Colonel Yuriy Horolyuk (15 August 2005 - 2005)
 * Major General Serhiy Bessarab (2005 - 2007)
 * Major General Anatoliy Syrotenko (2007 - 2012)
 * Lieutenant General Ihor Kolesnyk (November 2013 - 2015)
 * Major General Oleksandr Lakota (2015 - February 2017)
 * Lieutenant General Vyacheslav Nazarkin (February 2017 - 2017)
 * Lieutenant General Volodymyr Kravchenko (2017 - 5 August 2019)
 * Major General Vasyl Osypchuk (5 August 2019 - December 2019, acting)
 * Lieutenant General Viktor Nikoliuk (December 2019 - March 2023)
 * Brigadier General Dmytro Krasylnykov (March 2023 - present)

Chiefs of staff - first deputy commanders

 * Major General Volodymyr Kravchenko (2015 - 2017)
 * Major General Petro Romyhailo (2017 - present)

Deputy commanders

 * Major General Andriy Hryshchenko (2015 - 2016)
 * Colonel Ihor Krasota (2016 - July 2018)
 * Major General Vasyl Osypchuk (July 2018 - August 2019)
 * Major General Oleksiy Otserklevych (2020 - present)