Last modified: 2026-04-04 by martin karner
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![[National Guard flag]](../images/u/ua^ngu.gif)
image by Zoltan Horvath, 2 January 2015
The National Guard of Ukraine (NGU; Ukrainian: Національна гвардія України, Natsionalna hvardiya Ukrayiny) — is the reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that was revived in 2014 based on the Internal Troops of Ukraine. The Guard would then be reestablished on March 13, 2014 amidst rising tensions in Ukraine and its region caused by the military intervention in Crimea by Russia.
The National Guard was originally created on November 4, 1991 right after Ukraine gained its independence under a direct supervision of the Supreme Council of Ukraine. However it was controversially disbanded nine years later on January 11, 2000 as part of a 'cost-saving' exercise by the then President Leonid Kuchma. In 1995 - 2000 there existed both the National Guard of Ukraine and the Internal Troops of Ukraine.
The National Guard was recreated in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On the National Guard of Ukraine" [Law number 4393] dated March 12, 2014, (the draft legislation being originally introduced to the Ukrainian parliament on March 11). A previous attempt by then President Yushchenko to bring back the National Guard during civil unrest in 2008 had been blocked in the Rada. It was finally re-established in March 2014 after the beginning of the Crimean crisis.
The NGU was originally created by the Law of Ukraine "On the National Guard of Ukraine " dated November 4, 1991 № 1775 -XII. Dissolved by the Law of Ukraine "On Amendments and Additions to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine " dated 11 January 2000. During its early existence, the National Guard was indirectly involved in the Transnistrian conflict during the Spring/Summer of 1992, helping to defend the border against a threatened spill-over of the conflict into Ukraine. Formations involved were the 3rd, 4th and 5th divisions NSU (equipment transferred from the 93rd Motorized Rifle Division was also used in this deployment). Afterwards, up until 1998, National Guard units backed up the border guards in anti-smuggling operations conducted on the border with Moldova and Moldova's breakaway Transnistria region.
The flag is the
Coat of Arms
on a blue horizontal flag, as seen
here.
Esteban Rivera, 2 January 2015
![[National Guard sixth division]](../images/u/ua^ngu6.jpg)
image located by William Garrison
From
https://www.timesofisrael.com, an unidentified military logo upon regular
blue/yellow Ukraine national flag allegedly inside recaptured city of Kupiansk
in eastern Ukraine; c. 10 Sept 2022 (picture).
William Garrison, 10 September
2022
I think the text states (with Google translations) – corrections welcome:
Flag states 1-й Механізованй Батальйон (1st Mechanized Battalion)
92 Окрема
Механізована Бригада (of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade)
збережемо честь
здобудемо сазбу (we will save our honor, we will gain glory)
Rob Raeside,
10 September 2022
From
https://ukranews.com/en/news/881313-afu-raise-ukrainian-flag-over-kupyansk-city-council-kharkiv-regional-council:
This confirms the name of the unit with their flag. The central portrait in
the flag is that of Ivan Sirko, who is the patron (honoree) of the unit by
virtue of "DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE № 618 / 2019." The text on the flag
is "We will save honor, we will gain glory" (Збережемо честь, здобудемо славу)
Zachary Harden, 13 September 2022
The Unit was originally the 6th Division of the National Guard of Ukraine (6-ту дивізію Національної гвардії України)
. Hence, it belonged to the
National Guard although it traces its roots as far back as 1919. It was renamed
in 1999 (other sources mention 2000) as the 92nd
Separate Mechanized Ropshin Brigade of the orders of the October Revolution and
the Red Banner (92 окрема механізована Ропшинська
орденів Жовтневої Революції та Червоного Прапора бригада) (the first time the 92 appears in its name). In a later reform
in 2015, all Soviet-related titles were removed from the names of many military
Units, and it was renamed simply 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade (92 окрема механізована бригада) adopting its current denomination as stated by Zachary Harden
in 2019.
Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20180830073935/https://www.depo.ua/ukr/war/2016/legendarni-chastini-zsu-92-a-mehanizovana-brigada-30082015124600,
https://web.archive.org/web/20210608201037/
https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1173/2000/ed20001030#Text and
https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/
It is not clear when this Unit became
part of the Land Forces but I suppose it was since 2000 when by Decree of the
President of Ukraine dated October 30, 2000 No. 1173:
92nd Separate Mechanized Ropshin Brigade of the orders of the October Revolution
and the Red Banner.
Notice that the current
flag displays the emblem of the Ukraine Land Forces on the canton.
Esteban Rivera, 13 September 2022
from www.uarmy.com.ua [picture not retrievable]
located by Dov Gutterman, 25 June 2002
Colour for military units – The motto on the obverse side
(right side on this image): "For Ukraine, for her
liberty". Full name of military unit on the reverse side.
This flag was not adopted yet. But probably it will be adopted in
nearest future.
Victor Lomantsov, 26 June 2002
In the "prototype" image above the reverse
text reads literally "full name of military unit",
supposedly to be replaced with appropriate name in real flags.
Željko Heimer and Victor Lomantsov, 1 July
2002
image located by William Garrison
Posted on eBay:
Caption: Army Ukraine Special Operations Forces 73rd Naval
Center SWAT (c. 2022?)
William Garrison, 25 February 2022
image located by William Garrison
Source:
https://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-382322111/stock-photo-uzhgorod
Caption:
Uzhgorod, Ukraine – August 24, 2020: Veterans of the Ukrainian army
hold flags during the march of the defenders of Ukraine in honor of Independence
Day.
William Garrison, 16 August 2022
image by Pete Loeser, 27 July 2023
This light-blue flag was seen in NBC "Nightly News"
evening newscast on Nov. 14, 2022. Inside the main central logo there appears to be
"branch insignia" of 11 different branches, such as: armor (tank), parachute, artillery,
medical, etc. According to the news program, this flag was autographed by various foreign volunteers
serving in the Ukrainian military (picture).
William Garrison, 17 November 2022
image located by Zachary Harden (source)
The badge and the flag belongs to the unit "All-Ukrainian Union of
Combatants in ATO 'Brothers of Ukraine'" (Всеукраїнська спілка
учасників бойових дій в АТО 'Побратими України').
A larger flag can
be seen here (picture), and the badge can be seen here (picture).
Zachary Harden, 20 November 2022
image by Pete Loeser, 27 July 2023
This variant features the inscription ПОБРАТИМИ УКРАЇНИ
in white capital letters below the unit's badge.
(picture, source)
This is one of many veteran organizations that have appeared in the country, especially after the 2014 conflicts in Crimea and the
Donbass Region, which was labeled "ATO" (АТО в Києві).
In this case, the ATO acronym refers to the "Anti Terrorist Operation" (антитерористична операція), the denomination for the military intervention of Ukrainian forces (both multi-service and volunteer) to defend themselves against the Russian invasion of the country. (source).
This formal denomination derives from measures adopted on January 27, 2015, when the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) of Ukraine recognized the Russian Federation as the aggressor. On May 22, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada recognized the Russian Federation as a terrorist state with a totalitarian neo-Nazi regime and banned its
propaganda, as well as the propaganda of Russia's act of aggression against Ukraine. (source)
The flag is a blue horizontal background with the logo in the middle. The logo, a set of three concentric circles, displays in the inner circle the silhouette of three standing armed soldiers fielding small arms in yellow, over the map of Ukraine in dark blue, with the CoA of the country above in an armorial fashion, all inside a globe featuring longitude and latitude vectors. In the second circle, the 12 Branches of the Armed Forces, starting clockwise with Paratroopers on top, each displaying its respective CoA and background. On the outermost circle,
it features the inscription "ПОБРАТИМИ УКРАЇНИ" (Brothers of Ukraine) on top and "СПІЛКА УЧАСНИКІВ БОЙОВИХ ДІЙ В ATO" (Union Of Participants Of Combat Actions In ATO) on bottom, both in white capitals, separated by two solid yellow vignettes.
Esteban Rivera, 20 November 2022
image by Zachary Harden, 6 February 2025
Flag in blue horizontal background featuring a sword
pointing downwards and wrapped around a sash with Ukrainian
inscription "Brothers in Arms" (Braty po zbroi).
This is probably a veterans organization. They might be related to the
European Solidarity political party (formerly known as Petro
Poroshenko Bloc "Solidarity").
Pictures, located by Esteban Rivera:
https://www.facebook.com... (picture)
https://www.facebook.com... (picture)
Esteban Rivera/Victor Lomantsov, 10 July 2024
I was able to see a clearer picture of the flag here (picture).
There is a note that there seems to be a formal/ceremonial flag of the NGO that can be seen
here (picture).
However, the main question of the organization is that it does help veterans. It was founded in June 2021 by members of
Petro Poroshenko's party, European Solidarity, who also happened to be military veterans. However,
information regarding the group is very vague and the organization's website is down. They have a
Facebook page for news, but the information there is
also scarce.
Zachary Harden, 6 February 2025
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