Military

The Zone poses mortal danger. We are here to protect you from the Zone, not the Zone from you. Do not jeopardize your life. Do not try to penetrate into the secured area.
― Loudspeaker broadcasts at the Cordon

The Military (also known as the Army) is used to refer to any Ukrainian soldiers that operate in and around the Zone. They appear in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.

Description[]

Regular army soldiers. They guard all roads into the Zone, patrol its perimeter, kill mutants and hunt down looters. Spetsnaz - elite army troops, usually dispatched to the Zone to conduct rescue operations and other special missions.
― Encyclopedia, Shadow of Chernobyl

Soldiers who underwent special training following their service in the Zone or stalkers who voluntarily signed a contract with the Army. Usually equipped with various support gear and well-armed. Used mainly to study the causes and effects of the catastrophe and to map out the Zone. They can work on their own or in small detachments of up to five people. Military stalkers do not allow normal stalkers to approach and open fire on sight.
― Encyclopedia, Shadow of Chernobyl

The Military is a government organization formally tasked with securing and patrolling the perimeter of the Zone in order to prevent unauthorized access by stalkers and to contain any potentially hostile entities from escaping. As such, they are largely encountered near the outermost boundaries of the Zone, scattered across various outposts and bases. The Military is not bound to any rules of engagement while within the Zone and is permitted to use lethal force against trespassers at their discretion.

Despite their harsh reputation for shooting on sight, the Military is also widely known for being plagued by prolific corruption, which allows almost anybody to bribe them, either financially or materially.^[1] Reasons for bribing can range from simple dereliction of duties to smuggling goods such as foodstuffs and military equipment. Some (such as Sidorovich) have informal connections to local Military garrisons, allowing for unofficial pacts and ceasefires.^[2]

Outside of border control, the Military also infrequently performs deep incursions into the Zone by using helicopters and special forces, typically in tandem.

Security Service of Ukraine[]

The Security Service of Ukraine (commonly abbreviated as the USS) is an affiliated intelligence agency which gathers practical information on the Zone and assisting the Military with any Zone-related conduct. The USS deploys both the Military and their own undercover agents to fulfill their duties, being responsible for the Military occupation of Agroprom Research Institute and the investigation of Operation Fairway by undercover USS agent Alexander Degtyarev.

Relationships[]

With the exception of the government-sponsored Ecologists, the Military has almost exclusively hostile relations with all factions inside of the Zone, considering them trespassers. Stalkers have adopted the Military's own shoot-on-sight policy against them, considering anybody in a marked military uniform a valid target. As a result, stranded units in the Zone like the Deserted soldier and Semyon Lambee fear for their life and take refuge in isolated or hidden areas. Even in places where the military are frequently bribed (such as Cordon), relations are uneasy and prone to outbreaks of violence.

Sidorovich occasionally mentions having relations with a local Military commander in Cordon.^[2]

It is implied by Zvyagintsev that Duty was, at least at one point, tolerated by the Military, likely due to their shared goals.^[3]

Military veterans within the Zone are neither discriminated against by other stalkers for their service, nor favored by the Military.

History[]

In the early days of the Zone, internal troops of the State Security Service formed the bulk of human presence in the area. While it is never directly established how much territory was under military control, it can be inferred by countless wreckages and abandoned fortifications that most of the Zone was at least lightly overseen by Ukrainian security personnel at some point.

In the wake of the First and Second Emissions, the Military steadily lost its hold over the interior of the Zone to factors not yet understood, such as anomalies and mutants. Faced with the increasing lethality of the Zone, the Military issued a decree stating that any unauthorized personnel who attempt to enter the Zone was to be shot on sight. This was not always practiced, however, due to corruption and morale.

Chronologically, in 2011, beginning with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, the Military has established a heavily armed but increasingly scattered presence somewhat deep within the Zone, with their efforts held back significantly in a war against loners in Cordon and struggling with Zombified Stalkers and Freedom around the Army Warehouses. Their foothold in Limansk is limited to a small outpost in a house in the center of the ruined city. It is later contested as other factions show up while attempting to push into the Zone's center. Their garrison is ultimately destroyed by Scar, and by the end of Clear Sky, the Military is pushed back to Cordon.

By 2012, during S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, the Military retains their presence in Cordon and has a new stronghold in the formerly Duty-held Agroprom Research Institute. It is decisively wiped out in a battle involving the Marked one and various loners. The Ecologists bunkered in Yantar were formerly protected by the Military, but a catastrophic event caused by Lab X-16 has since turned all of the Military into zombies.

After the Brain Scorcher is disabled by Strelok, the Military launches the disastrous Operation Monolith during the chaotic rush for the power plant. Experiencing significant casualties, the Military makes no gain during the event.

Having learned from the failures of Operation Monolith, the Military later initiates Operation Fairway to capture Pripyat and Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Despite extensive preparations, all five special-purpose Stingray gunship helicopters crash within the Zone. The USS commissions Alexander Degtyarev to investigate the causes of the crash, who later discovers the survivors of Operation Fairway located in Pripyat. With the assistance of Strelok, they are all evacuated.

During the events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the International Perimeter Security Force has been put in charge of protecting the perimeter of the Zone and important objects within. The Ukrainian military is supported by soldiers from other countries, such as Italy, Germany and the USA.^[4]

Equipment[]

Soldiers wear Soldier uniform, Berill-5M armoured suit, and Bulat armoured suit. Player can also occasionally buy these sets of armored suits from traders with the exception of the soldier uniform. Military is armed with almost all of the Soviet and Russian weapons in the game. Officers, as well as military patrols consisting of sergeants, are armed with AKM-74/2U, less often AKM-74/2 and wear standard Berill-5M armoured suit. They also carry a gas mask bag on their belt. Spetsnaz units are equipped according to the specifics of the mission: assault squads wear Berill-5M armoured suit and are armed with AC-96/2, squads for deep raid in the Zone wear heavy armored suits Bulat armoured suit and are armed with Tunder S14 or SA Avalanche. The RP-74 and its stationary version are used to defend important places. Only rarely does the military use shotguns, such as in Clear Sky. The Chaser 13 may be carried randomly by soldiers in the Cordon at the checkpoint the mercenary Scar has to travel through from the swamps.

Sometimes, in exceptional cases, soldiers use trophy or otherwise obtained equipment, f.e., Lieutenant Sokolov, who uses SSP-99M Suit during Pripyat 1 breakthrough or Lieutenant Kirillov, who supplies Alexander Degtyarev with with trophy ammunition for almost any caliber.

Vehicles and tanks[]

Mi-24 - a helicopter that is often used to land paratroopers and support them with fire. Only in Shadow of Chernobyl the player sees this helicopter attacking. In Clear Sky this helicopter is not present, and in Call of Pripyat all the helicopters are Mi-24s.
Mi-2 - a helicopter that was used in Clear Sky in the Hospital. It is not found anywhere else.
BTR-70 - an outdated model of armored personnel carrier, nevertheless used in the Zone. Many destroyed APCs can be found throughout the game in Army Warehouses, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and Dark Valley on Freedom base (in Clear Sky). Actually working APCs are presented only at Chernobyl NPP in Shadow of Chernobyl.
UAZ-469 - a 5 seater all-terrain vehicle used by the military during the early period of the Zone, can be found all over the zone often in rusted and damaged states, better condition ones can be found in the Cordon in the Military Checkpoint, One on the Cordon road used by Major Khaletskiy (Clear Sky) and finally one at the Agroprom Research Institute owned by Duty in Clear Sky.
VAZ-2121 (Lada Niva) - a four-seat vehicle used for quick transportation. Can be found at some checkpoints, some locations and in Pripyat in Shadow of Chernobyl, as well as under the bridge in Call of Pripyat.
GAZ-66 - a transport truck rarely seen through out the zone except in areas with heavy former or active military presence. They were most likely used before the creation of the Zone, Gaz-66 can also be used for energy as seen one being used by Duty to power the Agroprom Reaserch Institute in Clear Sky.
ZIL-131 - a transport truck found frequently in the zone all found are flatbeds and sometimes a special firefighter variation. Despite it being outdated the military still appears to use them as they can be found in a destroyed military convoy during Operation Monolith.
T-64 - tank. There are only destroyed and inactive T-64s in the game. They are present in Army Warehouses, Chernobyl NPP, and the Red Forest (in Clear Sky).

Army units in the Zone[]

Regular Army - internal soldiers guarding the borders of the restricted area. These can found on Cordon, Agroprom Research Institute and Garbage. They are spotted taking bribes from stalkers for passage into the Zone. The checkpoints are commanded by officers from regular units of the Ukrainian army. Soldiers wear regular military armored suits, bandanas and balaclavas instead of helmets. They are armed with AKM-74/2U (sometimes AKM-74/2) and PMm or Fora-12 pistols. In Clear Sky, their weapons and equipment changed to AC-96/2 and AKM-74/2, and they wear Berill-5M now. They use stationary RP-74s to protect checkpoints on the border of the Zone. Soldiers have conscripts in their ranks operating in the Zone, f.e., Semyon Lambee.
Spetsnaz is involved in the cleanup of large stalker camps and the capture of important facilities. It's present in Shadow of Chernobyl. Spetsnaz forces the stalkers to leave the factory near Agroprom and a camp in Dark Valley, after which they gains control of most of the location. Since they are delivered and evacuated by helicopters, Spetsnaz work on the outskirts of the Zone. Spetsnaz units wear Berill-5M armored suits, sometimes wearing Tactical helmet, but most often wearing Sphere-08. They are usually armed with AC-96/2 assault rifles (often with PSO-1 scope mounted) and Fora-12 pistols. In Clear Sky, three snipers are encountered and mentioned (one armed with SVUmk-2 and two armed with SVDm-2). There is also one sniper armed with an SVDm-2 in Clear Sky. In Call of Pripyat, some Spetsnaz units wear Bulat armoured suit and are armed with weapons such as SA Avalanche, Vintar BC, and Tunder S14. Most of the military in Call of Pripyat is special forces. Most of them are Lieutenants.
Military stalkers (ru. Военные сталкеры) - also known as (ru. Военсталы) - elite units of military who have undergone special training after their experience in the Zone, or stalkers who have signed a contract with the army. They emerged when the military high command decided to conduct special operations in the Zone. Only people with combat experience and special training courses get into ranks of military stalkers. They wear Bulat armoured suit with "Sphere-12" and "Sphere-12M" helmet (only in Shadow of Chernobyl). According to Ganja, the helmet has a thin wire mesh that protects the user from external psi effects. Weapons range from the AC-96/2 to the Tunder S14 and the SA Avalanche. Military stalkers may carry Western pistols as secondary weapons, such as: Walker P9m or UDP Compact. In Shadow of Chernobyl at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, there are snipers armed with the SVUmk-2. Military stalkers are used mainly when clearing territories from large concentrations of well-armed enemies. They know the Zone well and navigate it better than the rest of the military. Military stalkers are mainly used to study the causes and consequences of the catastrophe, and are also engaged in mapping the Zone. They are usually transported to the operation site by Mi-24 helicopters. The most military stalkers are captains. They are subordinate to the military command.
Pilots - control helicopters in Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky (Scar intercepts their communication by PDA), and in Call of Pripyat one of the pilots, Lieutenant Sokolov, can be found in the scientists' bunker near Jupiter, where he was brought by Garry.

Ranks[]

General (there's no a separate rank as such)
Colonel (rank: Master)
Lieutenant Colonel (rank: Veteran, Master)
Major (rank: Veteran, Master)
Captain (rank: Veteran, Master)
Lieutenant (rank: Experienced, Veteran)
Warrant Officer (rank: Veteran)
Sergeant (rank: Novice, Experienced, (occasionally) Veteran)
Private (rank: Novice, Experienced)

Famous representatives[]

General - a close associate of Major Khaletskiy.
Colonel Kovalsky - commander of the Stingray unit. After the helicopters' crash, he gathered the remnants of the squad and settled in a former laundry in Pripyat expecting to be evacuated in the future. He can either escape with Major Degtyarev (he gets resigned later) or die in Pripyat.
Colonel V. M. Kruchelnikov - head of the Truth project, appears to be managing the USS's investigation into the causes of the Zone.
Major Kuznetsov - commander of the checkpoint under the destroyed railroad bridge in Cordon. He lets stalkers through the bridge for 500 RU.
Major Khaletskiy - commander of the checkpoint in Cordon. Collaborated with free stalkers and was simultaneously giving information about free stalkers to bandits, got captured by free stalkers. Can be rescued by Scar.
Major Zvyagintsev - former Army soldier, commander of the separate destroyed special purpose battalion. Lost all his subordinates in the first hours of the operation as a result of the emission. After a month of wandering around the Zone, he joined the Duty faction.
Major Degtyarev - an USS officer with stalker experience, investigates the reasons for the failure of Operation Fairway. Later becomes an USS observer in the Zone.
Captain Tachenko - while on a mission in the Zone, he cut off communication with the headquarters, misled his subordinates and founded Duty. Deserted.
Captain Tarasov - an officer of the Stingray squad, commander of the squad, which helped capture the unknown weapon. Evacuates from Pripyat (but may die either during the operation/evacuation).
Commander of the checkpoint in Cordon - commander of a south checkpoint.
Vasil Luckless - a military stalker, well-equipped, died at the entrance to Chernobyl. Player retrieves information on Operation Monolith from his body.
Commander of a military unit at the Agroprom Research Institute (Lieutenant) - commander of the military platoon stationed at the Agroprom Research Institute.
Lieutenant Sokolov - co-pilot of the Stingray-4 helicopter. After the helicopter crash, he was rescued by a stalker nicknamed Garry. They settled in the mobile lab. Sokolov was later shot down again by Mercenaries over Limansk and left for civilian airline.
Lieutenant Kirillov - a survivor of the Stingray group, responsible for ammunition, can perform armor and weapon repairs (he may die during the evacuation).
Lieutenant Rogovets - a survivor of the Stingray group, a medic (he may die during the evacuation).
Lieutenant Smirnov - a member of the evacuation team.
Major Khaletskiy's Agent - agent of Major Khaletskiy.
Semyon Lambee - private, driver for Major Khaletskiy.
Pupin - deceased soldier, friend of Semyon Lambee
Boltin - deceased soldier.
Machine gunner in Cordon
Operation Monolith commander - unnamed captain, commander of Operation Agroprom and Monolith operations.

Propaganda[]

In order to inform anyone who's trying to illegally enter the Zone, warnings are voiced through a megaphone at the Cordon's southern military checkpoint:

All propaganda:

Attention! You are approaching the secured perimeter of an ecological disaster zone! Illicit crossing of the perimeter is a criminal act!

Any attempt to penetrate the secured Zone will be punished by any means necessary! Patrols have the right to shoot on sight!

The Zone posses mortal danger! We are here to protect you from the Zone, not the Zone from you! Do not jeopardize your life, do not try to penetrate into the secured area!

The Security Service of Ukraine is calling all right-minded and loyal citizens to collaborate with the authorities. Report all known cases of stalking! Do not let the looters hide behind your backs! They bring radioactive, unidentified items from the Zone that are highly dangerous for human health and life! Only with your help can we eliminate this hideous phenomenon! Do not put your lives and the lives of your families at risk for the sake of dubious profit!

Trivia[]

It is not clear why the emblem of the military is the emblem of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (uk. МВС України), if this service does not belong to the military.

Gallery[]

Variations[]

Unique variations[]

Icons[]