The Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are elite troops specializing in high-complexity missions on land, water, and occupied territories. Their roles include sabotage, aerial reconnaissance, and psychological operations.
Due to their classified nature, details of SSO missions and personnel remain undisclosed. Entry into the SSO is highly selective, with only 10 percent of candidates passing the rigorous training process.
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Kyiv Post regularly covers the SSO’s activities during Russia’s war in Ukraine, so we have compiled for you a rundown of their most impressive missions of 2024.
Operation “Citadel” – destruction of Russian-occupied Black Sea platform
In early February, the SSO released footage of their rapid “Citadel” mission, during which troops destroyed a Russian-occupied drilling platform in the Black Sea.
Intelligence revealed that Russia was using the platform to coordinate Shahed kamikaze drone strikes on Ukraine’s southern infrastructure. The platform was also equipped with a Neva-B radar, designed to monitor large open areas, including the northwestern Black Sea.
“With the help of this radar, the Russians controlled the situation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea,” the SSO reported.
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The SSO mission, executed by Ukraine’s 73rd SSO Maritime Center, involved careful planning due to constant Russian Navy and Air Force patrols. Under the cover of darkness, SSO boats approached the platform, cleared enemy facilities, and planted explosives. The team then withdrew to a safe distance and detonated the structure.
“As a result, the enemy’s important equipment was captured, and the mast with the antenna was blown up,” the report said.
The 73rd Maritime Center, Ukraine’s elite naval special forces unit, often compared to the US Navy SEALs, specializes in combat diving and maritime operations. The unit has reportedly trained with NATO counterparts from the US, Poland, and Lithuania, earning its reputation as a top-tier special operations force.
Operation “Hoverla” – seizure of a Russian stronghold
Early February was marked by two lightning-flash special operations. The second of these, codenamed “Hoverla,” involved successfully seizing a Russian stronghold from a dominant position of height.
While the location remains undisclosed, the SSO emphasized that the operation significantly improved the operational and tactical situation for the AFU.
“The units of the Defense Forces had not succeeded in taking [the position] under control for several months,” the SSO reported.
Carefully planned and coordinated with conventional Defense Force units, the operation included fire support, radio-electronic warfare, and drones. Footage showed the assault team advancing on the stronghold, engaging in combat, and successfully capturing the position. Two Russian paratroopers were taken prisoner. Following the SSO’s success, other Defense Force units secured the area.
In mid-March, the SSO released a video showcasing the operation, as revealed by the battle group’s operators.
“The enemy defended these positions for a long time, controlling a large area and obstructing the actions of Ukrainian units,” the video caption read.
The SSO also revealed that they had conducted similar successful operations previously.
Relentless pursuit of Russian Buk missile systems
The Buk medium-range anti-aircraft missile system is designed for point defense, attempting to neutralize a variety of aerial threats, including strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, and helicopters. Estimates suggest that the cost of the latest version of this air defense system, the Buk-M1-2, is approximately $100 million.
Ukrainian Special Ops have consistently reported successful operations against Russian Buk air defense systems, using a variety of tactics and attack systems.
January: In the Donetsk sector, SSO drone operators provided coordinates to Ukrainian artillery, resulting in the destruction of one Buk system and disabling two others beyond repair.
March: The SSO destroyed a Russian Buk-M1 in the early part of the month, followed by another Buk system in the Zaporizhzhia sector later in the month. SSO operators coordinated HIMARS fire for the latter strike.
April 25: Ukrainian artillery, guided by SSO coordinates, destroyed a Buk-M1 that was preparing to launch missiles in the Donetsk sector.
April 30: In the Sumy sector, SSO operators struck a Buk at a launch position using attack drones. A second Buk system that arrived to evacuate the damaged launcher was also destroyed in the same operation.
May: The SSO reported destroying a Buk launcher carrying six missiles on May 2. By the end of the month, the 3rd Separate Regiment of the SSO confirmed that Ukrainian forces had destroyed four Buk systems – half a battalion. One of these was targeted with an advanced attack drone, one of the latest additions to the SSO arsenal.
A standard Buk battalion typically includes a command vehicle, target acquisition radar, six transporter erector launcher and radar vehicles, and three transporter erector launchers.
November: The SSO, in collaboration with other Ukrainian Defense Forces units, destroyed a radar station of a Russian Buk-M3 system in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
A Ukrainian military officer, speaking anonymously to Kyiv Post, highlighted the growing use of diverse attack systems, including aircraft-type Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), in targeting Russian Buk systems.
First ever strike on Russia’s advanced R-416GM digital radio relay station
In June, Ukraine’s Special Ops reported a historic milestone: the successful targeting of a Russian digital radio relay station, the R-416GM, marking the first time such a station has been hit during the war.
According to the report, SSO drone operators identified the R-416GM and inflicted fire damage on the station using “one of the latest developments” in their arsenal. The strike disrupted communication between the Russian command post and its military units.
The R-416GM, developed by the Russian Radio Equipment Plant in St. Petersburg, was first showcased at a Russian defense exhibition in 2017 and adopted by the Russian military in 2018. According to open sources, the cost of the station is $25 million.
This mobile station is designed to enhance the capabilities of radio relay units in field conditions, improving object visibility and command efficiency for military formations.
“This marks a significant achievement, as the Ukrainian military has never targeted this system before,” the SSO reported.
Inferno at a Russian oil depot in Orel
The SSO launched a drone strike on one of Russia’s largest petroleum terminals near Orel on Dec. 14. The target, a linear production-dispatching station in the village of Stalnoy Kon’, was successfully hit, causing a significant fire, according to a Special Ops report.
The station is reportedly part of Russia’s military-industrial complex, supplying fuel to the Russian army. The Orel region also serves as a base for launching drones used in attacks against Ukraine.
Russian Telegram channels confirmed the strike, with locals reporting the sound of drones, followed by an explosion and a large fire. Andrey Klychkov, governor of the Orel region, acknowledged the fire but claimed there were no casualties. He also reported that 11 drones had been shot down over the region.
Special Ops in Kursk: a silent offensive that shook the enemy
When Ukraine launched its operation in the Kursk region, the SSO immediately reported their active involvement. In fact, their daring missions behind enemy lines could fill volumes, and one day, books will be undoubtedly be written about their exploits.
Since Aug. 6, when Ukrainian forces crossed the border into the Kursk region, the SSO has consistently carried out ambushes and lightning raids on Russian troop positions. These operations have resulted in the elimination of over a dozen Russian soldiers, the capture of dozens more, and the rescue of encircled Ukrainian Defense Forces personnel.
In addition to their ambushes, SSO fighters captured and eliminated Russian military equipment, destroying military assets, including pontoon crossings and electronic warfare systems.
As Moscow launched counteroffensive operations, the SSO shifted to repelling assaults. By late December, Russia had deployed North Korean soldiers to support its efforts, but these reinforcements soon became targets of the SSO’s precision strikes.
On Dec. 17, SSO drone operators successfully targeted nearly 100 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. They reported 50 soldiers killed and 47 wounded in just three days. During this time, they also destroyed two armored vehicles, two trucks, and one Russian all-terrain vehicle.
A video released by the SSO showed kamikaze drones from the 8th Special Operations Forces Regiment targeting DPRK soldiers, followed by a series of explosions confirming casualties among the North Koreans.
On Dec. 19, the 73rd Marine Center of the SSO thwarted a North Korean assault on a Ukrainian position in the Kursk region. SSO operators used an MK-19 automatic grenade launcher and conducted a series of drone strikes, killing 12 North Korean soldiers and wounding 20 more during the failed assault.
Through precision strikes and coordinated tactics, Ukraine’s SSO continues to demonstrate its ability to adapt and excel, even in the most challenging circumstances.
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