Ukrainian National Army

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Not to be confused with the Ukrainian People's Army, which is often called the Ukrainian National Army or, UNA

Ukrainian National Army
Active	15 April 1945 - 7 May 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II
Commanders
Notable commanders	Pavlo Shandruk Taras Bulba-Borovets

The Ukrainian National Army (UNA) was the fighting arm of the Ukrainian National Committee of general Pavlo Shandruk. It was formed in Germany in 1945 and was supposed to aid the Wehrmacht in its struggle against the Red Army. Led by Shandruk himself, the army expanded to two divisions, the 1. UNA Division being reformed from the 14. SS Grenadier Division and the 2. UNA Division being organized from two Ukrainian brigades. Besides the two divisions, the special Gruppe B of Otaman Taras Bulba-Borovets, the Ukrainian Free Cossacks of colonel Tereshchenko, the 1. Reserve Brigade of Colonel Hudyma, the 2. Reserve Brigade of Colonel Malets and the remnants of the U.V.V. joined the UNA's ranks, boosting it up to some 150,000.^{[citation needed]}

In reality, Shandruk could only command the 1. UNA Division and elements of the 2. UNA Division. These units managed to surrender to the US forces in Austria. Other forces, splintered, either surrendered to the Soviet or the Western Allies, facing repatriation. Shandruk and the bulk of his forces managed to remain in the west, with many of the former UNA soldiers joining the French Foreign Legion.

The UNA had a bad relationship with general Andrei Vlasov's KONR and was never subordinated to it.

On May 7, under his influence, the division left the front line, withdrew from Soviet forces and capitulated to the British and Americans.

[edit] References

• Pavlo Shandruk - Arms of Valor, Robert Speller & Sons, 1959 Digital version on the web