Operational Command West (OC West) (Ukrainian: Оперативне командування «Захід»; ОК «Захід») is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in western Ukraine. Its headquarters is located in Rivne.
History
When Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union, there were three Military Districts on its territory. These were the Kyiv, Odessa and Carpathian Military Districts. In 1998, the Western Operational Command was created from the Carpathian Military District.[1]
Map of the Operational Command West shown in dark green
By 1 July 2006, the Western Operational Command consisted of units directly subordinated to the command and to the 13th Army Corps. These units were:
7th Army Aviation Regiment
11th Artillery Brigade
15th Rocket Artillery Regiment
14th Mechanized Brigade
24th Mechanized Brigade
55th Communications Regiment
80th Airmobile Regiment
146th Reconnaissance and Command Center
59th Artillery Regiment
128th Mountain Infantry Brigade
703rd Engineering Regiment
704th Chemical Defense Regiment
In October 2013, Operational Command North was created in Rivne. The Western Operational Command's headquarters was moved to Lviv and disbanded in August 2015. In November 2013, the 80th Airmobile Regiment was upgraded to brigade strength.[2] From the beginning of 2015, Operational Command North was moved to Chernihiv. Operational Command West headquarters remained in Rivne.[3] Major General Ihor Dovhan led the command from 2015.[4]
In October 2015, the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade was formed in the command.[5][6] During late January and early February 2016, units of Operational Command West participated in joint training exercises with British instructors in Rivne. [7] On 5 February, the command was assigned responsibility for Ground Forces troops in Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernivtsi Oblasts.[8] As of December of that year, it included the 10th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade, 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, 128th Separate Mountain Brigade, and 44th Separate Artillery Brigade.[9] In March 2017, Major General Oleksandr Pavlyuk became commander of OC West after Dovhan was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces for Combat Training.[10]
Organization
Structure of the Operational Command West in 2017 as per the best available Ukrainian language sources.
The following formations of other branches of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, respectively the general staff of the Ukrainian ground forces, are based in the area of Operational Command West and can be assigned to the command as needed:
^Kuzmuk, O.I. (2011). "Еволюція структури Збройних Сил України (1991-2011 рр.)" [Evolution of the Structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (1991–2011)] (PDF). Viysʹkovo-naukovyy visnyk [Military-Scientific Bulletin] (16): 55.
^"80-й окремий аеромобільний полк – desant-ukrain" [80th Separate Airmobile Regiment]. desantukrain (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2016-01-29.
^"Ukrainian Military Pages: Сухопутні війська". www.ukrmilitary.com. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
^"Commander of Operational Command "West" checked prepare one of the teams in Lviv and awarded soldiers". Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
^"В Україні сформували нову гірсько-штурмову бригаду ЗСУ – Новини – Український тиждень, Тиждень.ua". tyzhden.ua. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
^"У Коломиї створили нову 10 гірсько-штурмову бригаду | 10 гірсько-штурмова бригада". 10brygada.com.ua. Archived from the original on 2016-01-31. Retrieved 2016-01-29.
^"На Рівненщині закінчився курс підготовки українських підрозділів за участю інструкторів Збройних Сил Великої Британії" [In Rivne ended training course with the participation of Ukrainian units of the Armed Forces instructors UK]. mil.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 2 February 2016. Archived from the original on 9 February 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
^"Військово-адміністративний поділ території України" [Military Administrative Divisions of Ukraine]. Verkhovna Rada. Decree No. 39/2016 (in Ukrainian). 5 February 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
^Holcomb, Franklin (December 2016). "The Order of Battle of the Ukrainian Armed Forces: A Key Component in European Security" (PDF). Institute for the Study of War: 12. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ ab"У Рівному представили нового керівника ОК «Захід»" [New commander of OC West introduced in Rivne]. Radio Trek (in Ukrainian). 22 March 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
^"Військових західних областей об'єднають під оперативним командуванням «Захід»". web.archive.org. 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
^Командувачем військ ОК «Захід» призначено Героя України генерал-майора Сергія Шапталу
^"Пошук контрактників: У Хмельницькому військові комісари ОК "Захід" мінялися досвідом – Depo.ua". www.depo.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2019-12-08.
Ukraine
Operational Command West, in Rivne 
3rd Tank Brigade, in Yarmolyntsi
10th Mountain Assault Brigade, in Kolomyia
13th Jaeger Brigade, in Rivne
14th Mechanized Brigade, in Volodymyr
22nd Mechanized Brigade, in Chernivtsi
24th Mechanized Brigade, in Yavoriv
33rd Mechanized Brigade, in Rivne
42nd Mechanized Brigade, in Chortkiv
63rd Mechanized Brigade, in Starokostyantyniv
65th Mechanized Brigade, in Starychi
68th Jaeger Brigade, in Uzhhorod
88th Mechanized Brigade, in Rivne
128th Mountain Assault Brigade, in Mukachevo
44th Artillery Brigade, in Ternopil
45th Artillery Brigade, in Yavoriv
39th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Volodymyr
55th Signal Regiment, in Rivne
35th Rifle Battalion, in Ternopil
36th Rifle Battalion, in Khmelnytskyi
52nd Rifle Battalion, in Ivano-Frankivsk
12th Army Aviation Brigade, in Novyi Kalyniv
15th Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade, in Drogobych
16th Army Aviation Brigade, in Brody
19th Missile Brigade, in Khmelnytskyi
47th Engineer Brigade, in Dubno
48th Engineer Brigade, in Kamianets-Podilskyi
210th Pontoon Bridge Regiment, in Ternopil
704th CBRN Protection Brigade, in Sambir
80th Air Assault Brigade, in Lviv
82nd Air Assault Brigade, in Chernivtsi
1st 1st Radio Technical Brigade, in Lipniki
11th Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Shepetivka
76th Communication Regiment, in Lipniki
223rd Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment, in Stryi
Special Operations Center West, in Khmelnytskyi (former 8th Special Forces Regiment)
140th Special Forces Center, in Khmelnytskyi
74th Information and Psychological Operations Center, in Lviv
100th Territorial Defence Brigade "Volyn"
101st Territorial Defence Brigade "Zakarpattia"
102nd Territorial Defence Brigade "Ivano-Frankivsk"
103rd Territorial Defence Brigade "Lviv"
104th Territorial Defence Brigade "Rivne"
105th Territorial Defence Brigade "Ternopil"
106th Territorial Defence Brigade "Khmelnytskyi"
107th Territorial Defence Brigade "Chernivtsi"
125th Territorial Defence Brigade "Lviv City"
