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, or otherwise often referred to as the Army, are Ukrainian soldiers that have been sent into the Zone by the Ukrainian government to guard the perimeter and conduct operations within 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

Military is a government organization. It guards the Zone from infiltration of unauthorised persons. Anyone entering the Zone illegally must be arrested or killed if they resist. Soldiers have the right to shoot without warning, stalkers are usually treated aggressively, because all unofficial persons in the Zone are formally "illegal" and legally allowed to be eliminated. They have no ideology as such. Very corrupt, so they can be bribed. They are in charge of providing food for scientists and their escort^{[quote. 1]}^{[quote. 2]}. Military has a strained relationship with Duty, from open confrontation to cooperation. Duty and the Military try not to cross roads. It is also known that Sidorovich "found common ground" with an important representative of the army,^{[quote. 3]}^{[quote. 4]} which ensured a steady supply of goods in and out of the zone.

Security Service of Ukraine[]

The USS is dedicated to finding documents, evidence, and causes of the Zone. This organization has no apparent physical influence in the Zone, but has been quite successful in using other forces and means to find out information of interest and accomplish their tasks. In fact, they have Military and scientists as subordinates, and cooperate with free stalkers. In fact, the USS isn't present in the game as a faction, but there are references to it:

In Shadow of Chernobyl, a squad of soldiers occupied Agroprom Research Institute by order of the Security Service of Ukraine. After exploring the undergrounds, the soldiers found the documents indicating illegal work of scientists in secret X-laboratories. It helped the USS to partially find out the reason for the origin of the Zone.
In Call of Pripyat, USS Major Alexander Degtyarev found out the reason for the failure of Operation Fairway, obtained documents from laboratory X-8 and the Project 62 test center, as well as drawings and the gun itself. The army later began developing this weapon, but it was decided not to go ahead with large scale deployment of the weapon due to the high cost of ammunition. The USS officers in the Zone were ordered to prevent the dissemination of information about the essence of the work being done at any cost. Strelok, who once obtained many documents and became the cause and witness of many global events in the Zone, became an important source of information.

Relationships[]

Almost all factions are aggressive towards the Military: Free stalkers, Bandits, Renegades, Freedom, as they directly resist the authorities and are illegally present in restricted territory. Relations with mercenaries are hostile, but sometimes mercenaries try not to get into a conflict with military during operations^{[quote. 5]}. The military's number one enemy is the Monolith. Duty and the Military sometimes cross paths, but that's it^{[quote. 6]}. And finally, Scientists, who are officially authorised persons acting under the sanction of the Ukrainian government, are not allies but rather objects of protection.

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 strongly be assumed by wreckage and abandoned fortifications that most of the Zone was at least lightly overseen by Ukrainian security personnel. In the wake of the First and Second Emissions however, the military steadily lost its hold over the interior of the Zone to newly formed anomalies and increasingly more prevalent mutated wildlife. Following the debacle, they issued a decree stating that any unauthorized personnel who attempt to enter the Zone was to be shot on sight. However, because of the corruption and low morale of the remaining military garrisons, this act was poorly enforced as people who were awed by marvelous stories of the Zone became attracted to it and started exploring the very area that the military barred it from. These people came to be known as stalkers.

The Military always had a shaky relation with other factions, namely the Loners faction. However, they would eventually make deals with the illegal stalkers - this included information and access to the military checkpoints.

By the events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, the Ukrainian Army is relatively prevalent in the Zone. However, the Second Emission that begins Clear Sky had shaken up the military considerably, and, caught in the middle of the faction wars and new anomalies, the military loses significant amounts of territory. Most notably, their primary base in the Zone, the Army Warehouses, is infested with psychic anomalies, turning all but a dozen of the men stationed there into zombies. The surviving soldiers are soon after the event mopped up by the mercenary Scar, in order to gain access to the watchtower's communication systems.

As of 2011, the internal troops were commanded by Major Khaletskiy. Khaletskiy broke the deals between the Loners and the army when they sold them out to the Bandits, allowing the former to kidnap rookies that would become slaves to the Bandits. In retaliation, Khaletskiy was kidnapped by the Loners and held as a hostage within the Loners' base. With Scar's help, the Loners wiped out two of Khaletskiy's closest friends and their units. Khaletskiy is later executed by the Loners, or can be freed by Scar, by handing him a handgun, allowing him to escape.

In their secondary base in the Cordon, however, the military seems to have fully recovered. They are better organized with a lot more firepower, which Scar finds out when he first enters the Cordon from the Great Swamps. Their stationary machine gun turret on the second floor of the northwestern building of their base is quite an obstacle, covering a large area to the North and the West of their base. This gun is so powerful, its rounds can penetrate through fully grown trees and still cause damage when they hit.

The Military's grip on Limansk is limited to a small outpost in a house in the center of the city held by Military Stalkers. It is later shaken up as the Monolith and Clear Sky factions both pour into the area, along with the other factions such as Duty and Freedom, who attempt to push into the Zone's center. Their garrison (with another stationary machine gun turret), along with a patrolling military helicopter, are destroyed by Scar.

By the end of Clear Sky, the Ukrainian Army's presence in the Zone is all but eliminated, restricted to monitoring the entrance to the Cordon. At some point between the events of Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, however, the Military establishes a power-base in the Agroprom Research Institute, taking it from the Loners and Duty.

The Military make a final appearance at the Limansk Hospital, where the player has to shoot down a Mil Mi-2 helicopter gunship. Finally, they are part of the opposition rushing to the center, they can be seen fighting; although since the scene between the Hospital and the Chernobyl NPP chase was removed from the original game, they are not actually encountered by the player.

By 2012, the Military are much less prevalent then they were in Clear Sky, having lost much of their territory in the faction war and the aftermath of the Second Emission. However, they have a much more secure grip on the Cordon at this point, as well as a new commanding officer (Major Kuznetsov), having presumably eliminated Father Valerian and disrupted the unity of the Loners faction. In addition, they occupy Duty's former headquarters in the Agroprom area, and routinely launch raids upon the stalkers in the surrounding areas. Their Agroprom base is raided by the Marked One on Sidorovich's orders, to recover information about a possible way to the center of the Zone.

Initially, the military remains unaware of the more recent developments in the Zone. After the Brain Scorcher is deactivated by Strelok however, the Military launches an aggressive campaign to retake Pripyat and the Chernobyl NPP, sending in elite Spetsnaz and aerial units along with armored and aerial support in the form of BTR-70 APCs and Mil Mi-24 Hind gunships, in an operation codenamed Operation Monolith. Despite this however, those that are not killed by the fortified Monolith faction or Strelok are presumably killed in the Third Emission, erasing whatever gains the military may have made.

It is perhaps worth noting that the focus of the military changes between the two games. In Clear Sky, the military is dedicated towards sealing the Zone and establishing superiority, despite significant casualties. By the time Shadow of Chernobyl approaches, the military are more resigned to their position as a thorn in the Stalkers' sides, and have changed priorities, assisting the Ecologists in securing Yantar and leading investigations into the suspicious activities around the Zone committed by the previous occupants. Their garrison in Yantar seems to have been wiped out however, with most of the personnel turned into Zombies, leaving the task of securing the Bunker to Dutyers, Loners, or Mercenaries looking for work.

Following the failure of Operation Monolith, the military launched a new operation codenamed Operation Fairway, which would allow the military to seize the CNPP for good. Unlike the previous operation, the involved helicopters (codenamed Stingray) were equipped with anti-emissions systems. However, the operation failed again, and all five helicopters crashed on their way. Surviving members then regrouped in Pripyat. SBU agent Alexander Degtyarev was then sent in the Zone (disguised as a regular stalker) to find out what happened. After he finds out the helicopters were hit by airborne anomalies, he meets the survivors in Pripyat, and help the few surviving soldiers escape the Zone.

Equipment[]

Soldiers wear Berill-5M armoured suit and Bulat armoured suit. Player can also occasionally buy these sets of armored suits from traders. 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. The army does not use shotguns and grenade launchers.

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 Freedomk base (in Clear Sky). Actually working APCs are presented only at Chernobyl NPP in Shadow of Chernobyl.
UAZ-2121 - 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.
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 a ecological disaster's 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[]