Order on the establishment of an anti-aircraft missile and artillery battalion within the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov”.
Anti-Aircraft Missile Artillery Division “Strazh” 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine "Azov"
About unit
The “Strazh” Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Division is a unit within the 1st Corps of the Ukrainian National Guard “Azov,” which has been carrying out missions in the corps’ area of responsibility in the Dobropillia sector since late 2025. The unit was formed in the fall of 2025 and soon began to deliver results on the battlefield, destroying dozens of enemy strike and reconnaissance UAVs. The division carries out air defense missions and provides cover for the corps’ area of responsibility and interest, and includes UAV interceptor units, anti-aircraft artillery, radar stations, mobile fire groups, a medical station, engineering and technical workshops, and support units.
The primary mission of the anti-aircraft missile and artillery division is to protect the skies and provide cover for the corps’ infantry, artillery, and other units, preventing enemy UAVs from penetrating deep into Ukraine. The division is constantly improving, testing, and developing its own means of intercepting enemy UAVs to defend Ukraine’s free skies. In a short period of time, the 1st Corps’ Anti-Aircraft Missile and Artillery Division of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov” has proven its combat readiness, ability to respond quickly to challenges, utilize the skills and abilities of its fighters, and meet the demands and challenges of the battlefield.
Symbols
History
Recruitment, training, and staffing; formation of sections within the anti-aircraft missile and artillery division; and preparation for combat operations.
The first units of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine’s “Azov” Brigade have taken up combat duty.
Units of the ZRADN anti-aircraft unmanned aerial vehicle battery are participating in repelling massive enemy air attacks, ensuring the security of logistics routes and the safety of Ukrainian cities. In May 2026, several dozen attack UAVs of the “Shahed,” “Lancet,” “Gerbera,” and “Molniya” types, as well as “Zala” reconnaissance UAVs, were destroyed. The deployment of new forces and assets continues to ensure maximum coverage of the airspace within the unit’s area of responsibility.
Commander
Vitaly “Chezet” Ivanov
MajorIn 2017, he graduated from the National Aviation University with a degree in Aircraft Maintenance. Until 2022, he worked in management. In February 2022, he joined the ranks of the 126th Special Operations Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where he commanded a separate anti-aircraft missile and artillery platoon. He participated in operations to provide cover in the Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions. In the spring of 2023, he joined the ranks of the 12th Separate Special Forces Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov,” where he rose through the ranks from infantryman to deputy commander of a special forces company.
He commanded an infantry unit during the battles for the Serebryanske Forestry and on the New York-Toretsk direction. He was wounded while carrying out missions in the Serebryanske Forestry and was awarded the “Firearms” distinction by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, as well as a number of departmental awards from the National Guard and the National Security and Defense Council. In September 2025, he began forming an anti-aircraft missile and artillery battalion, which carries out missions within the area of responsibility of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov.”
Structure
Anti-Aircraft Missile Artillery Division “Strazh”