Special Operations Forces Remembrance Day in Ukraine Date in the current year: July 29, 2025

The Special Operations Forces are a branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) that includes special ops units and information and psychological operations units. SOF are considered the AFU’s elite: only about 10% of candidates successfully complete the extensive professional, physical, and psychological training course required to become a special forces soldier.

Attempts to establish a Special Operations Forces unit within the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine first emerged in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the onset of hostilities in Donbas in 2014 emphasized the necessity of establishing a distinct branch of the military for Special Operations Forces and expedited their formation.

The Special Operations Forces are considered to have been created on January 5, 2016, when Major General Igor Lunyov, who commanded the defense of Donetsk International Airport in 2014, was appointed commander of the Special Operations Forces Directorate. However, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine did not officially confirm the special status of the Special Operations Forces until June 16.

The official motto of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is “I’m coming for you!” It is a legendary phrase uttered by the Ukrainian prince Svyatoslav Igorevich that means a declaration of war. The Special Operations Forces’ emblem features a werewolf, and their departmental awards are called “[Pack] Leader”, “Werewolf”, and “Wolf”.

The SFO ranks include specialists with unique skills in intelligence, direct combat operations, and military support. They carry out complex and dangerous missions, such as raids, psy ops, establishing agent networks, searching for and evacuating prisoners and hostages, and counter-terrorism operations.

The SFO has played a particularly important role since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While their work is not public, it often has a decisive impact on the success of other units. The Special Operations Forces carry out subtle and precise actions deep behind enemy lines. They disrupt logistics, disorient the enemy, participate in intense battles across the entire front line, and deliver devastating blows to critical enemy infrastructure.

From 2016 to 2024, July 29 was celebrated as Special Operations Forces Day in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In 2025, however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy changed the date to July 27 to mark the day in 2014 when soldiers from special forces regiments and their comrades from other branches of the AFU liberated the new terminal of Donetsk Airport and raised the Ukrainian flag there.

However, July 29 is still observed in the SFO because it was designated as Special Operations Forces Remembrance Day. On this day, Ukrainians honor and celebrate the memory and heroism of Special Operations Forces soldiers who died while performing combat missions.