Inside Ukraine’s Secret Special Forces Initiation Ceremony

At a hidden location, 200 soldiers
from Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces Center 1st Battalion “Wolfborn” gathered for an initiation ceremony. The ritual honors fallen comrades, welcomes battle-tested fighters, and reaffirms loyalty to the unit.

“We spend most of our lives deployed, scattered in small groups,” Wolfborn Battalion commander told us. “When we finally gather together, even for a short time, it reminds us that we are not just soldiers—we are one unit.”

This unit’s identity is rooted in the image of the wolf, which “symbolizes the strength of the individual and 
the power of the collective,” a soldier with a call sign Mr. Historian explains. “It’s not just a metaphor,
it’s our identity.”

One of the ceremony’s most powerful symbols is the Sword of Sviatoslav
—a replica of a 10th-century blade introduced to SOF initiations in 2021.

“The sword isn’t just an object,” said Oleksandr, a newly initiated operator. “Holding it in my hands felt like I was connecting with something much larger than myself.”

In 2026, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces carry out reconnaissance, sabotage, and precision strikes, often
in small teams behind Russian lines
—guiding artillery and drone fire, infiltrating positions, and targeting
key military assets.

“When we fight, we know that we’re not just carrying a weapon, we’re carrying the spirit of the warriors before us,” said Linguist, a soldier who rejoined his unit even after a cancer diagnosis. That night, he was being initiated.

“For me, this is important. Honestly,
I feel excited—almost trembling.
I’m energized. It feels like something I’ve been building toward for a long time,” he said before the ceremony had begun.

“We fight not only for our country,” says Linguist, “but for our brothers and for the legacy of those who came before us.”