Ukraine

Ukraine (Україна) was formerly a socialist republic within the Soviet Union, and the largest country on the European continent. Following a failed military coup d'etat that resulted in the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine established its independence on 16 July 1990. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (Збройні сили України - ЗСУ) were formed in August of 1991, when jurisdiction over all formations of the old Soviet Armed Forces stationed in Ukraine were transferred under the control of the new republic.

Many manufacturing facilities were maintained in Ukraine under Soviet control, and these in turn also transferred ownership with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. These included a number of factories for manufacturing textiles and military uniforms, which continued to produce camouflage uniforms not only for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but for many of its neighbors including Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, and Moldova. With a few exceptions, camouflage patterns produced in the Ukraine have always had distinctive color features (as well as unique factory markings) that make them generally easy to distinguish from those produced in neighboring Russia. As such, Ukraine is one of the only former Soviet republics to enjoy a long standing tradition of producing its own camouflage uniforms rather than importing them or copying the designs of its neighbors.

Although not yet a member, Ukraine enjoys a distinctive partnership with NATO and has joined in many military exercises with member nations, as well as peacekeeping efforts under United Nations sanction.

Ukrainian Camouflage Patterns

• The earliest camouflage patterns produced by an independent Ukraine were variants of the Soviet-designed 1988 TTsKO (Trisvetnaia kamuflirovannaia odezhda). As with those produced during the Soviet period (and by Russia thereafter), Ukrainian factories have turned out several versions of the pattern incorporating varied color schemes. Unlike virtually every other former Soviet republic, Ukraine continues to wear versions of this pattern, which is the standard camouflage design of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Illustrated below are several Ukrainian-made variations of the TTsKO that we have collected.

• A two-colour desert version of the standard Ukrainian camouflage pattern. Introduced around 2003/2004. Several colour variations exist. The brown parts of this pattern corresponds to the brown parts of the TTsKO.