Operation Command East

Operational Command East
OC East (green)
Active	January 2015–present
Country	Ukraine
Branch	Ukrainian Ground Forces
Type	Military district
Garrison/HQ	Dnipropetrovsk
Engagements	War in Donbass
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Serhiy Nayev
Insignia
Chevron

Operation Command East (OC East) is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in eastern Ukraine. Its headquarters is currently located in Dnipropetrovsk.

History

When Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1992, there were three Soviet military districts on its territory. These were the Kiev 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 Kiev MD.^[1] In 2005, the Southern Operational Association was created from the Southern Operational Command.^[2] In October 2013, Operation Command South was created from the Southern Operational Association. In January 2015, Operation 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 Major General Serhiy Nayev.^[3] Units under the operational control of OC East are currently fighting in the War in Donbass.

Structure

In 2015, the command controlled the following units.^[4]

• 17th Guards Tank Brigade (HQ Kryvyi Rih)
• 53rd Separate Mechanized Brigade (based in Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk)
• 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade (HQ Artemivsk)
• 56th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade (HQ Myrne, Melitopol Raion)
• 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade (HQ Kluhyno-Bashkyrivka)
• 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade (HQ Cherkaske, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast)
• 55th Separate Artillery Brigade (HQ Zaporizhia)
• 18th Separate Army Aviation Brigade (HQ Poltava)
• 107th Rocket Artillery Regiment (HQ Kremenchuk)
• 1039th Artillery Regiment (Hvardiiske, Novomoskovsk Raion)
• 121st Separate Communications Brigade (Cherkasy)
• 91st Separate Operational Support Regiment (Romny)
• 74th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (Cherkasy)
• 129th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion (Volodarske)
• 131st Separate Reconnaissance Battalion
• 502nd Radio-Electric Security Battalion (Dnipropetrovsk)

References

1. http://www.defense-ua.com/rus/hotnews/?id=37756&prn=yes. Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. Kuzmuk, A. (2011). Evolution of the structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (1991–2011) (PDF) (in Ukrainian).
3. "Командувач військ ОК "Схід" та голова Дніпропетровської ОДА перевірили хід будівництва фортифікаційних споруд у зоні АТО" [Commander of Operation Command East and head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast administration inspect fortifications in anti-terrorist operations]. Ukrainian Armed Forces (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2016-01-28.
4. "Ukrainian Military Pages: Сухопутні війська". www.ukrmilitary.com. Retrieved 2016-01-28.