Who are the Ukrainian Rangers

In 2024, the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces (SSO) experienced their largest expansion since their establishment in 2016 with the formation of four Ranger regiments under the command of the newly created Ranger Corps. We previously covered the Ranger Corps on June 4, 2024.

However, the origins of these units trace back to 2022, during Ukraine’s offensive toward Kupyansk and Kherson. At the time, the Armed Forces command sought an answer to a critical question: Who had the experience to lead and spearhead assaults on fortified Russian positions – be the razor of these operations? The mechanized forces lacked combat experience, while the Air Assault Forces, though highly capable, could not single-handedly breach enemy defenses and advance beyond the front lines. The solution emerged in the form of the Special Operations Forces (SSO) units—though never originally intended for such operations and lacking heavy vehicles, their soldiers were the best-trained force Ukraine had.

Ultimately, while both operations were successful, the decision came at a high cost for the SSO. Their highly trained operators were lost in battle—dying in Humvees while assaulting enemy positions and in the trenches while awaiting the arrival of mechanized reinforcements.

The birth of Rangers

To address this challenge, a new force was established within the structure of the SSO—one superior to regular infantry but with a shorter training cycle. Thus, the Rangers were born. Unlike operators from the Special Operations Centers, Rangers do not undergo the SSO-Q course, shortening their training by several weeks.

But why the name “Rangers”? Speaking under anonymity, several former SSO operators revealed that some high-ranking officers had long admired the U.S. Army Rangers and had been eager to create a similar unit within Ukraine’s forces.

In 2024, it was announced that four Ranger regiments—4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th—were in the process of being formed. Over the year, the 4th and 6th Regiments were officially unveiled. The 6th Ranger Regiment was established based on Special Operations Center West, while the 4th was formed from Special Operations Center East.

The 7th Regiment never made an official appearance, and the last information about 5th Regiment comes from July 2024. It is likely their formation was never completed. However, despite this fact, we can reveal that 5th Regiment was formed from the 140th Special Purpose Center, and 7th Regiment based on Special Operations Center South.

Unlike Special Operations Centers, Ranger regiments operate heavy equipment, with the 6th Regiment, for example, being seen using BMP-1 vehicles and heavy artillery. These units appear to be analogous to HUR MO’s Kraken and other units, where specialized military branches developed more capable mechanized formations within their structure.

Symbology

All four Ranger regiments and the command unit were given a yellow-black emblem, which is distinctly different from the officially approved emblems of the SSO. This raised questions when an infographic of the SSO was released, showing no mention of any Ranger units. However, in January 2025, thanks to the efforts of our active Discord community and our research, we uncovered the answers. The yellow-black emblem is part of the visual branding for the Ranger initiative and is used for marketing purposes, not as an official emblem for these units. Despite this, you can still see regiment operators wearing these emblems, and they appear on official combat footage of the units.

The officially approved emblems follow the standardized SSO design, further confirming everything we’ve mentioned. The 4th Regiment’s emblem features red, aligning with the SSO Center East, while the 6th Regiment’s emblem uses blue. In SSO symbology, the knife pointing upward signifies a unit specialized in assault operations. The existence of such emblems was also confirmed today by the official website of the 4th Regiment.

Additionally, the SSO units infographic only features the 4th and 6th Ranger Regiments, confirming that the 5th and 7th regiments have not been formed—yet. We know that 5th Regiment was forming in Kropyvnytskyi of Kirovohrad Oblast. It is possible that it’s personnel was transferred to the 4th Regiment, which is also based in the same city.