Ground Forces
The largest branch — mechanised, motorised and infantry brigades.
Broad area of activity
The full length of the front since 2022 — from the Kyiv defensive battles through the counteroffensives to the positional fighting around the Donbas hubs.
Notable history
Carried the weight of every phase of the war: the 2022 defence of Kyiv and the Kharkiv and Kherson counteroffensives, the 2023 southern offensive, and the long defensive battles since. Absorbed the bulk of Western equipment deliveries while expanding from a peacetime core to a mobilised force of dozens of brigades — a transformation achieved under fire.
Strengths
Deep combat experience at every echelon; proven ability to integrate a dozen foreign equipment families at once; a domestic artillery and drone industry increasingly behind it.
Limitations
Infantry shortage is the binding constraint, publicly acknowledged since 2024; quality varies widely between veteran and newly formed brigades; dependent on Western ammunition and air-defence supply for high-intensity operations.