21st Army Corps is a combined arms unit of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.
The corps was formed in early 2025 under the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces. The commander was appointed Oleksiy Abdurakhmanov. In June 2025, Valeriy Kurach was appointed as the unit’s commander, and by late July, it had been transferred to the Ukrainian Ground Forces under Operational Command North.
In July 2025, the legendary 93rd Mechanized Brigade had joined the corps alongside the newly formed 159th Mechanized Brigade. Later, in August 2025, the 155th Mechanized Brigade was assigned under the corps. In late August 2025, the famous 4th Heavy Mechanized Brigade, formerly known as the 4th Tank Brigade, was also assigned to the corps, and later in October 2025, a newly formed brigade, the 68th Artillery Brigade, would also be assigned. At some point, the 152nd Jaeger Brigade had also joined the formation.
The composition and leadership of the corps have raised several questions, particularly with many newly formed brigades that had performed poorly in the past in terms of training, leadership, and acclimating to the battlefield. In addition to this, the corps commander, Kurach, was also heavily scrutinized by other members of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, with his leadership being destructive. There are also questions raised that the corps has become far too reliant on legendary brigades, including the 4th Heavy Mechanized and 93rd Mechanized Brigade’s to form the backbone of the corps.
Insignia
The insignia depicts a traditional chevron split in two, with the left side being a subdued pastel blue color, and the right side of the chevron being a subdued shade of green. The central imagery of the insignia shows a stylized cross in yellow pointing in four directions, with an angular crescent shape at the bottom. Surrounding the cross with the crescent are four stars in yellow.
