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The Ukraine’s Military | Photos

The tense situation in the Crimea, which appears to include an occupation by Russian military forces, has tested the Ukraine and its military. While much smaller in size than Russia’s, with around 129,000 troops compared to 845,000, Ukraine’s military has been growing in power and professionalism.  Despite a David versus Goliath scenario, vastly outnumbered in ships, aircraft, tanks, and other equipment as well as men, there are some good points. So far the military has largely remained loyal; other than those troops and assets now surrounded on the Crimean peninsula, Ukraine’s military is more concentrated; and Ukraine’s military leaders are more likely to be patient, as opposed to those of Georgia, who seem to have fired the first shots before the Russians invaded that country in 2008. Also, Ukraine, although not a part of NATO or the European Union, has received training with the militaries of those countries and with the United States. This photo gallery is not intended as a complete picture of the Ukrainian military, but rather a representation of those forces and of some of their capabilities.

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Steven Hoarn is the Editor/Photo Editor for Defense Media Network. He is a graduate of...