Territorial Defence of Ukraine As a Phenomenon of National Military History

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to highlight the origins and the role of the phenomenon of territorial defence in the national military history, its importance for the protection of Ukrainian lands from foreign invaders.

Research methodology. To ensure a comprehensive disclosure of the topic, the authors used the principles of historicism, systematicity and continuity.

The scientific novelty consists in highlighting the conditions for the creation and operation of territorial defence units from ancient times to the present, revealing the continuity of national military concept, clarifying the place of territorial defence units in the construction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the protection of the state from Russian invaders.

Conclusions. In the event of external danger, the Ukrainian people united in territorial defence units of various forms. This phenomenon has a long national tradition and history, which was interrupted in the 1920s due to the occupation of Ukraine by Bolshevik Russia. In the independent Ukraine, during the anti-terrorist operation in the east of our country since April 2014, territorial defence units were created on the basis of the law “On the Defence of Ukraine”. The legal regulation of territorial defence was finalized in January 2022 through the adoption of the laws of Ukraine “On Territorial Defence” and “On National Resistance”. Modern territorial defence units are an important component of the protection system of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in the war against the Russian Federation.