territorial defence forces

The Territorial Defence Forces (abbr. TDF; Ukrainian: Війська територіальної оборони, romanized: Viiska terytorialnoi oborony, pronounced [wijsʲˈkɑ terɪtor⁽ʲ⁾iˈɑlʲnoji oboˈrɔnɪ], abbr. ВТО, VTO) are the military reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Territorial Defence Forces were formed after the reorganization of the Territorial Defence Battalions, volunteer militias created during the war in Donbas under the command of the Ministry of Defence. Territorial Defence units existed from 2015 until 2021 in semi-organized forms until 2022 when they were officially organized into a unified corps that formed a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.