Infantry Day in Ukraine Date in the current year: May 6, 2024

Infantry is one of the several branches of an army, along with cavalry, artillery, and tank forces. Also referred to as foot soldiers, infantry engages in military combat on foot and usually moves on foot between combats as well, although modern infantry often uses military vehicles or other transport.

Infantry was the first military forces in the world. In the present-day context, infantry units make up a large portion of all armed forces in most countries. The main task of infantry warfare is to engage, fight, and kill the enemy at close range.

Modern infantrymen are primarily armed with firearms (rifles, pistols) and close combat weapons (the latter, for example, bayonets and combat knifes, are typically used as ancillary weapons). They can also use crew-served weapons like machine guns, anti-tank guided missiles, and infantry mortars. In addition, infantrymen are trained in hand-to-hand combat.

Thanks to their local situational awareness, infantry units are able to engage and infiltrate enemy positions, hold and defend ground, secure battlefield victories, maintain military area control and security, capture ordnance or materiel, take prisoners. In addition, infantry forces are easy to deliver to combat areas, and they can operate in a wide range conditions.

Infantry is the general basis of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. It is especially hard to overestimate its importance taking into account the War in Donbass that has been going on in the eastern regions of Ukraine since 2014. The main tasks of the Mechanized Infantry Forces, which are primary combat formations of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, are to hold the occupied areas, lines and positions, to repel enemy attacks, to break through enemy defenses, to defeat enemy troops, and to capture important areas, lines and objects.

The structure of the Mechanized Infantry Forces includes 22 brigades, including motorized infantry brigades, mountain brigades and mechanized brigades, as well as 25 reserve brigades of the territorial defense forces. In addition, the Ukrainian Navy has its own small Naval Infantry Force consisting of three marine brigades, an artillery regiment, and independent units.

Infantry Day in Ukraine was established to thank the soldiers of the mechanized, motorized and mountain military units and divisions of the Ukrainian army for their courage and heroism in the struggle for freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the country, as well as to mark the anniversary of the beginning of modern military traditions of Ukraine.

As with all professional army holidays, Infantry Day is not a non-working day and is celebrated primarily in the respective military units and divisions. Celebration commonly involves conducting award ceremonies for infantrymen who’ve distinguished themselves in battle.