Territorial Defense Forces Day: How Ukraine's reserve army evolved in wartime

On October 4, Ukraine marks Territorial Defense Forces Day, highlighting the evolution of these units from a newly created branch into a full-fledged combat component actively engaged across the front lines of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Initially established in January 2022 with a peacetime strength of 10,000, the forces saw over 110,000 volunteers join within the first month of the full-scale invasion. Today, their tasks have expanded beyond local defense to include infantry and mechanized operations, drone warfare, and sapper training. The Territorial Defense Forces now participate directly in combat operations on various front-line sectors, with plans to scale up unmanned systems capabilities. Their symbol is a crenellated wall representing home defense, and their motto is "Ready for Resistance!"