Ukrainian Armed Forces Rank Insignia

[Dorward_Bis]

Some days ago I've visited a nearest military shop (военторг), and made some shots of Ukrainian rank insignias. Here they are:

1) Earlier shoulder/chest rank insignias (embroidered loops)

Omitted Third Lieutenant (молодший лейтенант) and Major (майор). There is a mixture of new professional enlisted rank insignias with classical warrant officers' shoulder straps with stars (Warrant Officer - прапорщик, Chief Warrant Officer - старший прапорщик). Officers' straps are traditional, because officers ranks elaborated in 2009 had never been approved and implemented. These straps can be worn on shoulders or on special chest flaps on new uniform. There is an indication on price tickets as "н/з" (means "недоторканий запас" - reserve funds). Price of each shoulder strap is 10 Hrivnas (approx USD 0.65).

2) Shoulder/chest rank insignias (a new Ukrainian digital camouflage, embroidered loops).

Omitted Private (солдат) and Sergeant (сержант). All enlisted and warrant officers' insignias are modern. Commissioned officers insignias are traditional. Price tickets contain "0" - means, newly produced. Price of each shoulder strap is 15 Hrivnas (approx USD 1.0).

[Dorward_Bis]

So, last Summer our President had signed an Order to implement the new Ukrainian Armed Forces rank insignia system instead of the previous one. But the peculiarity is that there is no any final understanding yet of how these new rank insignia look like, particularly for enlisted (officers' rank insignia seems to be correct more or less).
Nevertheless, I've tried to find something out from various sources, and made a chart with one of possible versions of the mentioned rank insignia. At least, judging photos and videos, the shoulder strap of the General of the Army of Ukraine on my picture coincides with those worn by our Minister of Defense General Poltorak.


According to the Presidential Order, there is a 2-years transitional period to replace the previous "Soviet-style" rank insignia system with a new one.

[SFMRAS]

So, last Summer our President had signed an Order to implement the new Ukrainian Armed Forces rank insignia system instead of the previous one. But the peculiarity is that there is no any final understanding yet of how these new rank insignia look like, particularly for enlisted (officers' rank insignia seems to be correct more or less).
Nevertheless, I've tried to find something out from various sources, and made a chart with one of possible versions of the mentioned rank insignia. At least, judging photos and videos, the shoulder strap of the General of the Army of Ukraine on my picture coincides with those worn by our Minister of Defense General Poltorak.


According to the Presidential Order, there is a 2-years transitional period to replace the previous "Soviet-style" rank insignia system with a new one.

I figured the new system was meant to change the 'USSR/RF' to something else, but it kinda only accomplished that at the non-officer level.
JOs still have 1-4 devices/stars and SOs have 1-3 of the same. Really, only the senior most general/flag officer rank isn't immediately obvious as 'USSR' inspired. It is reminiscent of the old Tsarist (field) marshal insignia.
While the number of devices, combinations, orientations, etc. are donate, there are other systems they could have aped.
At least IMHO.

[Helios88]

NCO insignia seem to me to adopt a common Western pattern...

[Dorward_Bis]

EXAMPLES OF A GRADUAL IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW RANK INSIGNIAS


Lt.General (yet - in a future this rank insignia is to be for the Maj.Gen)


Lt.General and Lt


Major


Try to guess who is who)

Anyway, right now the "old" and "new" systems are coexisting quite peacefuly.

[Luke2]

From left to right: Lieutenant, lieutenant-general, lieutenant-colonel.

Hard to see the difference between the latter two, but the scrambled eggs on the visor of the General gives him away.

[Dorward_Bis]

U r right, Luke) Lt, Lt.Gen (or Lt.Maj in a future, when the Brig.Gen rank will be legalized) and Lt.Col.

And the difference between Lt.Col and Lt.Gen is just obliterated a bit due to the shooting angle - actually, it is obvouos if you look at the chart I've made in this topic earlier: Lt.Col has a narrow transverse stripe, and the Lt.Gen is a wider sawtooth stripe.

[sketor7558]

Updated rank insignia introduced to correct the previous legislation from October 2020.
https://www.ukrmilitary.com/2020/12/nakaz398.html