Ukrainian Insurgent Army. Structure

Among the archival materials of the Intelligence there are a number of documents, maps and diagrams, which describe and depict the structure of the UPA. According to this information, the organizational structure of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army was simple, but at the same time flexible enough to efficiently use human and material resources. The UPA was divided into groups, groups – into military districts, and districts – into tactical sections. The main tactical unit was sotnya (a hundred/company), which was part of kurin (battalion). Sotnyas consisted of chotas (platoons), and those – of riys (squads).

Below are excerpts from archival documents.

From the “Structure of UPA” section of the orientation of the NKGB of the Ukrainian SSR dated March 23, 1944 “On the Emergence and Activity of the “Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA)”:

“Ukrainian Insurgent Army is headed by the UPA Main Command and its Staff.

From the obtained materials, it is known that the UPA Staff has the following departments: operational, political, combat training, communications, sanitary and economic.

Besides, the UPA Main Command has a department of the so-called “Security Service”.

“Ukrainian Insurgent Army” consists of four groups: Northern (it is also called Polissya), Southern, Eastern and Western, and is also divided into four districts, respectively: Rivne, Kovel, Kremenets and Zhytomyr…”

“In addition to the division into Northern, Southern, Western, and Eastern groups, UPA is divided into the following subdivisions: kurin (battalion), sotnya (hundred/company), chota (platoon), and riy (squad).

Kurin or department (equivalent to a battalion) is 400–500 people. Kurin consists of 3 rifle sotnyas, a platoon of heavy machine guns, a platoon of anti-tank guns, a staff reconnaissance platoon, a support platoon, a field gendarmerie unit and a sanitary unit.

At the head of a kurin there is the commander (kurinnyi), his deputy and the chief of staff.

Sotnya (hundred, corresponds to a company) is 100–120 people. Sotnya consists of 3 rifle platoons, a supply department and medical instructors.

Chota (corresponds to a platoon) is  20 to 40 people. Chota consists of 3 rifle squads.

Riy (corresponds to a squad) is 10 to 13 people.

The department of the so-called “Sluzhba Bezpeky” (SB - “Security Service”) is an agent and intelligence department. This department is directly managed by the UPA Commander Klym Savur.

There are branches of the “Security Service” department in all units of the UPA, which are usually headed by the commanders of those units.

 

“The main core of the commanding and rank-and-file staff consists of OUN illegal staff from among the urban and rural intelligentsia and kurkul (well-to-do peasants -Transl.) youth.

The staffing of UPA, both command and rank-and-file, is handled by the reference offices for military affairs of territorial, county, regional, supra-district and district executive offices of the OUN. The command staff of commanders of sotnyas and higher is appointed by the regional executives of the OUN from active OUN members...”

“At the UPA Main Command, there are senior officers’ schools for training of command personnel. The training period for senior officers and junior officers is 2 months.

In particular, it was found out that in the forests of Stolinskyi and Stepanskyi districts (near Kostopol, Rivne region) there was a senior officers’ school headed by the former Colonel of the tsarist army Honcharenko, and an engineering and sapper school under the leadership of a “Hornostay” (OUN nickname).

Besides, according to information that needs to be verified, the training of command personnel for UPA is carried out by Ukrainian nationalists with the help of the British in Canada, where flight and other schools are organized...”.

 (BSA of the SZR of Ukraine. – F. 1. – Case 7088. – V. 1. – P. 13–16).

From the handwritten Structure of UPA, compiled by UPA member Prokip Yaroshynskyi

I. Infantry Kurin.

Includes:

1. Kurinnyi (Commander of the Kurin).

2. His staff with the communications and rear service department.

3. Three rifle sotnyas.

4. 1 sotnya of heavy machine guns.

II. Infantry Regiment.

The Regiment includes:

1. Regiment Commander.

2. Staff with a chota of cyclists, a chota of communications and a chota of mounted scouts (1+4+27).

3. Three infantry kurins.

4. A sotnya of cyclists.

5. A sotnya of infantry guns.

6. A sotnya of anti-tank guns.

7. Light infantry auto convoy and rear services.

III. Riy – the smallest combat unit.

1. The riy’s commander, deputy commander (lankovyi –commander of a team).

2. Machine gun team (4 machine gunners, 1 machine gun).

3. Rifle team (4–12 riflemen).

IV. Rifle Chota (Platoon).

The rifle chota consists of:

1. Chotovyi (commander of the chota).

2. 3 messengers, 1 trumpeter.

3. Three rifle riys (squads).

4. Team of light grenade launchers.

5. 1 combat horse cart.

V. Rifle Sotnya (hundred/company).

A rifle sotnya consists of:

1. Sotennyi (sotnyk) (commander of the sotnya).

2. Sotnya’s honor (1 junior officer, 3 messengers).

3. 1 trumpeter, 1cyclist, 1 groom.

4. 3 rifle chotas.

5. 1 ASKR riy (2 heavy machine guns).

6. Combat valka (mobile group) (bunchuzhnyi, field kitchen, junior officer, paramedic, 1 cyclist, 4 carriers of the wounded, 1 junior officer for equipment, 1 arms supplier’s assistant, 3 combat horse carts).

7. Klunochna (luggage) valka (mobile group) (1 truck, 1 accountant, 1 tailor, 1 shoemaker).

(BSA of the SZR of Ukraine. – F. 1. – Case 7088. – V. 2. – P. 99–101).