The Offensive Guard () is an initiative undertaken by the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs to establish new assault brigades within the

National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...

, National Police, and

Border Guards A border guard of a country is a national security agency that ensures border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard (as in Germany, Italy or Ukraine) and rescue service duties. Name and uniform In diffe ...

. The main objective of this project is to strengthen the country's security and defense capabilities by creating units capable of responding to various threats and challenges.

History

In February, the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs launched the Offensive Guard project, which aims to establish eight volunteer assault brigades by April 2023. The project has called for volunteers to join the effort, with particular emphasis on active members of the National Police, State Border Guard, and National Guard, as well as veterans of the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

. The response to the call for volunteers has been significant, with over 27,000 enquiries registered by Internal Affairs in just over a week. Of these, 15,000 applicants, including 500 female candidates, have applied for admission, and over 800 individuals have already passed medical examinations as part of the enlistment process. The projected raising of the Guards was such a resounding success that by April 2023 the

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (; ; ) is the Ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of Ukraine, Ukrainian government that oversees the interior affairs of Ukraine. History Name *People's Committee of Internal ...

recommended the raising of more formations.

Structure

As of 2025, the structure is as follows:

National Guard

* 1st Burevii Brigade,

Vyshhorod Vyshhorod (, ; ) is a city in Kyiv Oblast, central Ukraine, situated immediately north of the capital Kyiv, and part of the Kyiv metropolitan area. It is on the right (western) bank of the Dnieper river and, as the location of the Kyiv Hydro ...

Kyiv Oblast Kyiv Oblast (, ), also called Kyivshchyna (, ), is an Administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast (province) in central and northern Ukraine. It surrounds, but does not include, the city of Kyiv, which is administered as a city with special sta ...

** Brigade Headquarter and Headquarter Company ** Kulchytskyi Battalion ** 1st Infantry Battalion ** 2nd Infantry Battalion ** 3rd Infantry Battalion ** Artillery Battalion ** Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion * 3rd Spartan Brigade,

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

Kharkiv Oblast Kharkiv Oblast (, ), also referred to as Kharkivshchyna (), is an oblast (province) in eastern Ukraine. Kharkiv borders Luhansk Oblast to the east, Donetsk Oblast to the southeast, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast to the southwest, Poltava Oblast to the w ...

** Brigade Headquarter and Headquarter Company ** 1st Infantry Battalion ** 2nd Infantry Battalion ** 3rd Infantry Battalion ** 4th Guardsmen Battalion ** Tank Company ** Artillery Battalion ** Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion ** Reconnaissance Company * 4th Rubizh Brigade,

Hostomel Hostomel (, ) is a Rural settlement#Ukraine, rural settlement in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located northwest of the capital Kyiv. It hosts the administration of Hostomel settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Populatio ...

** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company ** 1st Infantry Battalion ** 2nd Infantry Battalion ** 3rd "Svoboda" Infantry Battalion ** 4th Infantry Battalion ** 5th Infantry Battalion ** 6th Infantry Battalion ** Tank Battalion ** Field Artillery Battalion ** Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion * 12th Azov Assault Brigade, Yurivka,

Donetsk Oblast Donetsk Oblast, also referred to as Donechchyna (, ), is an Oblasts of Ukraine, oblast in eastern Ukraine. It is Ukraine's most populous province, with around 4.1 million residents. Its capital city, administrative centre is Donetsk, though d ...

** Brigade Headquarter and Headquarter Company ** 1st Infantry Battalion ** 2nd Infantry Battalion ** 3rd Infantry Battalion ** Tank Company ** Artillery Battalion ** Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion ** Reconnaissance Company *

13th Khartiia Brigade The 13th Khartiia Brigade (, also spelled Khartia) is a combat brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine formed in 2022. Khartiia was founded by volunteers to defend against Russian offensives from the Kharkiv region. It has also seen action in Ba ...

Kharkiv Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov, is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city in Ukraine.

** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company *

14th Chervona Kalyna Brigade The 14th Chervona Kalyna Brigade ( MUN 3028) () is an assault brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine formed on the basis of the 8th operational regiment. History In January 2024 the unit, in conjunction with '' The New Voice of Ukraine'' had a ...

, Kalynivka,

Vinnytsia Oblast Vinnytsia Oblast (, ), also referred to as Vinnychchyna (), is an oblasts of Ukraine, oblast in central Ukraine. Its capital city, administrative center is Vinnytsia. The oblast has a population of History Vinnytsia Oblast, first established on ...

** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company * 15th Kara-Dag Brigade,

Zaporizhzhia Zaporizhzhia, formerly known as Aleksandrovsk or Oleksandrivsk until 1921, is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. It is the Capital city, administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia ...

Zaporizhzhia Oblast Zaporizhzhia Oblast (), commonly referred to as Zaporizhzhia (), is an oblast (region) in south-east Ukraine. Its administrative centre is the city of Zaporizhzhia. The oblast covers an area of , and has a population of The oblast is an import ...

** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company ** 1st Infantry Battalion ** 2nd Infantry Battalion ** 3rd Infantry Battalion ** Tank Company ** Field Artillery Battalion ** Anti-Aircraft Defense Battalion ** Reconnaissance Company

National Police

* Liut Brigade,

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company ** Tsunami Assault Regiment *** Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company ** Safari Assault Regiment *** Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company ** Luhansk Assault Regiment *** Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company **

Dnipro-1 Regiment The "Dnipro-1" Regiment () is a Special Tasks Patrol Police of Ukraine, Special Tasks Patrol Police regiment subordinated to Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. The regiment is based in Dnipro. The Dnipro-1 was one the first official Ukrai ...

*** Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters Company ** Myrotvorets Battalion ** Skif Battalion ** Enei Battalion ** Zakhid Battalion ** Tavr Battalion ** Shtorm Battalion

State Border Guard

* Stalevyi Kordon Brigade,

** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company *

Pomsta Brigade The 3rd Border Detachment named after the Hero of Ukraine Colonel Yevgeny Pikus, also known as Pomsta Brigade, () is an assault brigade of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine that is part of the Offensive Guard (Ukraine), Offensive Guard. ...

, Chasiv Yar ** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company * Hart Brigade ** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company *

Forpost Brigade The Forpost Brigade (2382) formerly the Kramatorsk Border Detachment is a brigade level detachment of the Eastern Department of the State Border Service of Ukraine. The detachment guarded the ATO zone contact line in Donetsk Oblast prior to the Ru ...

** Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company

References

External links

Offensive Guard
official website 2023 establishments in Ukraine Military units and formations established in 2023 Paramilitary forces of Ukraine Volunteer National Guard units of Ukraine Military units and formations of Ukraine in the Russian invasion of Ukraine {{Ukraine-mil-stub