title: Spirited Away

text: Disney's English dub of the film, supervised by Lasseter, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2002 and was later released in the United States on 20 September 2002. The film grossed $450,000 in its opening weekend from 26 theatres. "Spirited Away" had very little marketing, less than Disney's other B-films, with a maximum of 151 theatres showing the film in 2002. After the 2003 Oscars, it expanded to 714 theatres. It ultimately grossed around $10 million by September 2003. Outside of Japan and the United States, the movie was moderately successful in both South Korea and France where it grossed $11 million and $6 million, respectively. In Argentina, it is in the top 10 anime films with the most tickets sold.


title: Spirited Away

text: In the United Kingdom, then-independent based film distributor Optimum Releasing acquired the rights to the movie from Wild Bunch in January 2003. The company then released it theatrically on 12 September 2003. The movie grossed $244,437 on its opening weekend from 51 theatres, and by the end of its theatrical run in October, the movie has grossed $1,383,023 in the country.


title: Spirited Away

text: About 18 years after its original release in Japan, "Spirited Away" had a theatrical release in China on 21 June 2019. It follows the theatrical China release of "My Neighbour Totoro" in December 2018. The delayed theatrical release in China was due to long-standing political tensions between China and Japan, but many Chinese became familiar with Miyazaki's films due to rampant video piracy. It topped the Chinese box office with a opening weekend, beating "Toy Story 4" in China. In its second weekend, "Spirited Away" grossed a cumulative in China, and was second only behind "" that weekend. , the film has grossed in China, bringing its worldwide total box office to over .


title: Spirited Away

text: "Spirited Away" was first released on VHS and DVD formats in Japan by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on 19 July 2002. The Japanese DVD releases include storyboards for the film and the special edition includes a Ghibli DVD player. "Spirited Away" sold 5.5million home video units in Japan by 2007, and holds the record for most home video copies sold of all-time in the country . The movie was released on Blu-ray by Walt Disney Studios Japan on 14 July 2014, and DVD was also reissued on the same day with a new HD master, alongside several other Studio Ghibli movies.


title: Spirited Away

text: In North America, the film was released on DVD and VHS formats by Walt Disney Home Entertainment on 15 April 2003. The attention brought by the Oscar win resulted in the film becoming a strong seller. The bonus features include Japanese trailers, a making-of documentary which originally aired on Nippon Television, interviews with the North American voice actors, a select storyboard-to-scene comparison and "The Art of Spirited Away", a documentary narrated by actor Jason Marsden. The movie was released on Blu-ray by and North America by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on 16 June 2015. GKIDS and Shout! Factory re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on 17 October 2017 following the expiration of Disney's previous deal with Studio Ghibli in the country in North America. On 12 November 2019, GKIDS and Shout! Factory issued a North-America-exclusive "Spirited Away" collector's edition, which includes the film on Blu-ray, and the film's soundtrack on CD, as well as a 40-page book with statements by Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki, and essays by film critic Kenneth Turan and film historian Leonard Maltin. Along with the rest of the Studio Ghibli films, "Spirited Away" was released on digital markets in the United States for the first time, on 17 December 2019.


title: Spirited Away

text: In the United Kingdom, the film was released on DVD and VHS as a rental release through independent distributor High Fliers Films PLC following the film's limited theatrical release. It was later officially released on DVD in the UK on 29 March 2004, with the distribution being done by Optimum Releasing themselves. In 2006, the DVD was reissued as a single-disc release (without the second one) with packaging matching other releases in Optimum's "The Studio Ghibli Collection" range. The then-renamed StudioCanal UK released the movie on Blu-ray on 24 November 2014, A British 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition, similar to other Studio Ghibli anniversary editions released in the UK, was released on 25 October 2021.


title: Spirited Away

text: In the United States, the 2015 Blu-ray release grossed $9,925,660 from 557,613 physical units sold . In the United Kingdom, the film's Studio Ghibli anniversary release appeared several times on the annual lists of best-selling foreign language film on home video, ranking number six in 2015, number five in 2016, and number one in 2019.


title: Spirited Away

text: The film was aired on Nippon TV (NTV) in Japan, on 24 January 2003. It became NTV's most-watched film of all time with a 46.9% audience rating, surpassing the 35.1% record previously set by "Princess Mononoke" in 1999.


title: Spirited Away

text: In the United Kingdom, the film was watched by 670,000 viewers on BBC2 in 2010. This made it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on BBC, and the year's second highest foreign film on UK television (below the Indian Bollywood film "Om Shanti Om"). "Spirited Away" was later watched by 300,000 UK viewers on BBC2 in 2011, making it the year's most-watched foreign-language film on BBC2. Combined, the film drew a UK television viewership on BBC2 between 2010 and 2011.


title: Spirited Away

text: "Spirited Away" has received significant critical success on a broad scale. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 97% approval rating based on 195 reviews, with an average rating of 8.60/10. The website's critics consensus reads, ""Spirited Away" is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeously drawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little more curious and fascinated by the world around them." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 96 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating "universal acclaim."


title: Spirited Away

text: Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film a full four stars, praising the work and Miyazaki's direction. Ebert also said that "Spirited Away" was one of "the year's best films", as well as adding it to his "Great Movies" list. Elvis Mitchell of "The New York Times" positively reviewed the film and praised the animation sequences. Mitchell drew a favorable comparison to Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass", and wrote that Miyazaki's "movies are as much about moodiness as mood" and that "the prospect of animated figures' not being what they seem – either spiritually or physically – heightens the tension." Derek Elley of "Variety" said that "Spirited Away" "can be enjoyed by sprigs and adults alike" and praised the animation and music. Kenneth Turan of the "Los Angeles Times" praised Miyazaki's direction and the voice acting, as well as saying that the film is the "product of a fierce and fearless imagination whose creations are unlike anything a person has seen before." "Orlando Sentinel" critic Jay Boyar also praised Miyazaki's direction and said the film is "the perfect choice for a child who has moved into a new home."


title: Spirited Away

text: In 2004, "Cinefantastique" listed the film as one of the "10 Essential Animations". In 2005, "Spirited Away" was ranked by IGN as the 12th-best animated film of all time. The film is also ranked number 9 of the highest-rated movies of all time on Metacritic, being the highest rated traditionally animated film on the site. The film ranked number 10 in "Empire" magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema" in 2010. In 2010, Rotten Tomatoes ranked it as the 13th-best animated film on the site, and in 2012, as the 17th. In 2019, the site considered the film to be #1 among 140 essential animated movies to watch. The film was ranked at number 46 on "Time Out" magazine's list of "The 100 Best Movies of All Time". In 2017, "The New York Times" ranked it as the second best film of the 21st Century so far. In 2021, the Writers Guild of America ranked "Spirted Away"'s screenplay the 67th greatest of the 21st century so far. In 2022, the film was ranked number 75 on "Sight & Sound"'s greatest films list, being one of two animated films to make the list (alongside Miyazaki's own "My Neighbor Totoro").


title: Spirited Away

text: In his book "Otaku", Hiroki Azuma observed: "Between 2001 and 2007, the otaku forms and markets quite rapidly won social recognition in Japan," and cites Miyazaki's win at the Academy Awards for "Spirited Away" among his examples.


title: Spirited Away

text: "Spirited Away" is frequently regarded as one of the best films of the 21st century as well as one of the greatest animated films ever made. "Comic Book Resources" wrote that the film "set the bar extremely high for all anime movies that followed it -- including Studio Ghibli's." and further explained that "It's a movie many people re-watch due to its comfort and nostalgia, and since Netflix brought the Ghibli movies to North America last year, it's become even more accessible". Swapnil Dhruv Bose "Far Out Magazine" declared the film to be "the greatest animated film of all time" and explained that it "resonated with audiences all over the world despite the existence of cultural barriers is because of its brilliantly devised universality" and has the ability to "generate fascinating multiplicities which morph according to the age of the viewer". In another article detailing Hayao Miyazaki's wide impact to the film industry, he wrote "The influence of "Spirited Away" can be easily observed in Disney productions like "Brave" and "Frozen", thanks to John Lasseter's (the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar) efforts to introduce it to Western audiences". "Vice" also declared "Spirited Away" to be the all-time best animated film and wrote that the film "showed how breathtaking, heartfelt, and serious animation can be" that "Pixar, Disney, and other mainstream animators have still failed to genuinely realize 15 years later".


title: Spirited Away

text: Film director Steven Spielberg said that "Spirited Away" might be "better than any Disney films" he has ever seen. Rayna Denison, professor of film, television, and media studies, told "Time" that "This is a film made by a master animator at the height of his powers and it is one where the quality of the animation really does set it apart from everything else around it. Nobody else was making films that looked like this or that were as inventive as this was at this time". The film has been cited as influence for various Disney and Pixar animated films. Production designer Harley Jessup said that he initially looked at "Spirited Away" and was inspired by the spiritual feelings elements to utilize them in "Coco". Co-writers Ken and Ryan Firpo cited the film as one of the influences that helps them explore "ideas of morality and humanity" in "Eternals". "Turning Red" director Domee Shi named "Spirited Away" as one of her favorite animated films and one of the influences for her film.


title: Spirited Away

text: According to "Time", "Spirited Away" "arrived at a time when animation was widely perceived as a genre solely for children, and when cultural differences often became barriers to the global distribution of animated works" but it "shattered preconceived notions about the art form and also proved that, as a film created in Japanese with elements of Japanese folklore central to its core, it could resonate deeply with audiences around the world". Denison emphasized that John Lasseter and Disney "boosted "Spirited Away" visibility in America by heavily campaigning for the film to be considered for the Academy Awards", and cited it as one of the reasons why it won Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Writer Jonathan Clements, whose published works revolve around East Asian culture, anime, and Japanese television dramas, emphasized that the film's Oscar win was "a wake-up call for a lot of people in the film business who had been disregarding Japanese animation for years". Susan Napier, professor of Japanese studies at Tufts University, called "Spirited Away" wins at major Western award shows "a very big shot in the arm to the Japanese animation industry". She further explained that cartoons in the West have often been seen as "childish, vulgar, things that you didn't take seriously" but after the film took home the Academy Award, people were starting to see animation as "a real art form".


title: Spirited Away

text: A stage adaptation of "Spirited Away" was announced in February 2021 with a world premiere planned in Tokyo on February 28, 2022. It is written and directed by John Caird, with Toho as the production company, with Studio Ghibli's blessing. The role of Chihiro is played by both Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi.


title: Spirited Away

text: On a limited time release, the Imperial Theater performance of the play is available for rental in Japan from November 11 to December 18 in several streaming services such as ABEMA, Amazon Prime Video Japan, Docomo Anime Store, Fuji TV on Demand, Hulu Japan and U-NEXT.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Kingsman: The Secret Service is a 2014 spy action-comedy film directed by Matthew Vaughn from a screenplay by Jane Goldman and Vaughn. The first instalment in the "Kingsman" film series, it is based on the comic book of the same name by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: The film follows Gary "Eggsy" Unwin's (Taron Egerton) recruitment and training into a secret spy organisation called the Kingsman. Eggsy joins a mission, in brutal and comedic fashion, to tackle a global threat from Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), a wealthy megalomaniac and eco-terrorist wanting to deal with climate change by wiping out most of humanity. Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Michael Caine play supporting roles.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: "Kingsman: The Secret Service" premiered at the Butt-Numb-A-Thon festival on 13 December 2014, and was theatrically released in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2015 and United States on 13 February 2015, by 20th Century Fox. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who highly praised the stylised action sequences, direction, acting performances, villain, visual style, score and its dark humour, although some scenes were criticised for being too over-the-top. The film grossed over $414 million worldwide, becoming Vaughn's most commercially successful film to date. In 2015, it won the Empire Award for Best British Film.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: A sequel, titled "", was released in September 2017, with Vaughn and the main cast returning. A prequel, "The King's Man", was theatrically released in the United States on 22 December 2021.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: In 1997, probationary secret agent Lee Unwin sacrifices himself to save his superior, Harry Hart. Blaming himself for Lee's death, Harry returns to London and gives Lee's young son Gary "Eggsy" a medal engraved with an emergency assistance number.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Seventeen years later, Eggsy is a rebellious chav, having dropped out of training for the Royal Marines despite his intelligence and talent for gymnastics and parkour. Arrested for stealing a car, Eggsy calls the emergency number, leading Harry to arrange his release and subdue Eggsy's abusive stepfather and his gang. Harry explains that he is a member of Kingsman, a private intelligence service founded by the British elite who lost their heirs in World War I and put their money toward protecting the world; the organisation is named for the tailor shop in Savile Row used as a front for their operations.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Harry, codename "Galahad", nominates Eggsy to replace agent "Lancelot", who was killed by the assassin Gazelle while trying to rescue radical climate change scientist Professor James Arnold from kidnappers. Kingsman's technical support operative "Merlin" discovers Arnold working as though nothing has happened. Hart attempts to interrogate the professor at Imperial College London, but a microchip in Arnold's neck explodes, killing him. The detonation signal is traced to Gazelle's employer Richmond Valentine, a billionaire philanthropist who has offered everyone in the world SIM cards with free cellular and Internet access. Hart poses as another philanthropist to meet Valentine.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Eggsy befriends fellow Kingsman trainee Roxy, and he endures Merlin's tests until they are the only candidates left. Eggsy refuses his final test — shooting a Pug puppy he was given to raise — and Roxy is named the new "Lancelot". Harry learns of Valentine's connection to a religious hate group and travels to their church in Kentucky, wearing glasses containing a video transceiver. As Eggsy watches Harry's footage, Valentine triggers the SIM cards inside the church with a signal that causes the parishioners and Harry to become murderously violent. Harry is the only survivor but is shot in the face by Valentine, apparently killing him.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Eggsy returns to Kingsman headquarters and notices Chester "Arthur" King, Kingsman's leader, has the same implantation scar on his neck as Professor Arnold. King reveals Valentine's plan to transmit his violence-inducing signal worldwide, "culling" most of humanity to avert its extinction from global warming. Valentine has recruited various world leaders and wealthy elite to his cause, implanted with chips to protect them from the signal; those who refuse are held captive at his bunker, including Crown Princess Tilde of Sweden. King poisons Eggsy's drink, but Eggsy switches glasses, letting King poison himself instead.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Eggsy, Merlin, and Roxy locate Valentine's bunker, where many of his conspirators are gathered. Roxy pilots high-altitude balloons to break up Valentine's satellite network, but he secures a replacement. Merlin flies to the bunker, where Eggsy masquerades as King but is discovered by failed Kingsman recruit Charlie Hesketh. Cornered by Valentine's men, Merlin activates the implanted chips' failsafe, killing the guards and conspirators as heads explode around the world. Valentine activates the signal, triggering worldwide pandemonium. Eggsy kills Gazelle and impales Valentine with one of Gazelle's sharpened prosthetic blades, stopping the signal, and shares the sexual encounter Princess Tilde offered him for saving the world.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: In a mid-credits scene, Eggsy, now the new "Galahad", offers his mother and half-sister a new home and prepares to take on his stepfather and gang, just as Harry did.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Hanna Alström appears as Tilde, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Bjørn Floberg appears as Morten Lindström, the Swedish Prime Minister. Lily Travers portrays Lady Sophie. Jonno Davies plays Lee Unwin, Eggsy's father and a former Kingsman candidate who sacrificed himself to save Hart. Nicholas Banks, Nicholas Agnew, Rowan Polonski and Tom Prior portray Digby Barker, Nathaniel, Piers and Hugo Higins, respectively, the other four Kingsman candidates. Fiona Hampton plays Amelia, a Kingsman employee who masquerades as a candidate in order to "die" during the first test. Richard Brake plays the interrogator during the penultimate test, Ralph Ineson appears as the police interviewer after Eggsy's arrest and Corey Johnson appears as a fanatic church leader, and Velibor Topić portrayed the biggest goon in the bar fight scene. Tobias Bakare and Theo Barklem-Biggs play Eggsy's friends Jamal and Ryan. Paintings of uncredited extras are used to represent founder members of the Kingsman organisation, later established in "The King's Man" (2021) to be named Orlando, Duke of Oxford, Polly, Archie Reid, George V, and Bedivere.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: The project originated when Mark Millar and Matthew Vaughn were at a bar discussing spy movies, lamenting that the genre had become too serious over the years and deciding to do "a fun one." To have the time to make the film, Vaughn had to opt out of directing "", which he called "a really tough decision". He reasoned that if he did not do it, "somebody else ... [would] wake up and do a fun spy movie. Then I would have written a bloody screenplay that no one would want to make."


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Colin Firth joined the cast to lead the film on 29 April 2013. It was initially reported in 2013 that Leonardo DiCaprio was in talks to play a villain, although Vaughn himself later denied that he was ever considered, stating that he came as close to playing the role "as I am to becoming the Pope." Instead the role of the villain went to Samuel L. Jackson. Jackson took the role in part because of a career-long dream to be in a James Bond movie. As he felt that this was unlikely to come true, he took on the role, stating "I felt like this was an opportunity to play a really great Bond villain." Jackson's character has a notable lisp, which was partially inspired by the stutter he had during his childhood. In September 2013, Vaughn cast Sophie Cookson for the female lead, preferring a newcomer over more obvious candidates like Emma Watson and Bella Heathcote. Mark Hamill was cast as Professor James Arnold, a reference to his character in the source comic book being named "Mark Hamill".


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Principal photography began 6 October 2013 in Deepcut, Surrey, on a budget reported to be one-third of the $200 million budget of "Skyfall". The Alexandra Road Estate in Camden was used for Eggsy's home area, and some scenes were filmed at Imperial College London. The Black Prince Pub in Kennington, South London, was used for various fight scenes and the car chase. Savile Row in Mayfair was also employed as a location and the exterior of tailors Huntsman at No. 12, which provided the clothes, and James Lock & Co. in St James's, which provided the hats.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: In May 2014, it was reported that Henry Jackman and Matthew Margeson would be composing the music for the film, while in July it was announced that Gary Barlow would be writing the music for the film. Additionally, a song from Take That's seventh studio album "III", "Get Ready for It", played during the end credits.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: The film's premiere was held in London on 14 January 2015, with director Vaughn and stars Firth, Egerton and Strong attending; Take That performed the film's theme live. A regional premiere was held in Glasgow at exactly the same time as the London event, and live footage was streamed from the premiere to Glasgow. Mark Millar also hosted a charity screening of the film ahead of its release in Glasgow to raise money for his old school, St. Bartholomews. The film opened in the United Kingdom on 29 January 2015. In the United States 20th Century Fox planned to release the film on 14 November 2014, but later delayed it to 6 March 2015. It was later moved up to 24 October 2014, before being delayed again to 13 February 2015. The film was released in most of Latin America and Indonesia, with the action scene set in the church removed. The scene, considered vital by the director and film critics, was excised almost completely, leaving only the set-up and immediate consequences.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: The trade paperback collecting the comics miniseries was released on 14 January 2015. Vaughn teamed up with luxury retailer Mr Porter to create a 60-piece clothing line based on the film. Mr Porter worked with the film's costume designer, Arianne Phillips, to design the bespoke suiting, while everything from the ties and shirts to eyewear, umbrellas, shoes and watches were designed by heritage brands such as Cutler and Gross, George Cleverley and Mackintosh. The collaboration is the first of its kind, making "Kingsman: The Secret Service" the first film from which customers can buy all of the outfits they see. The film also includes significant product placement for Adidas Originals.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Originally the marketing campaign was going to begin with a teaser trailer featuring all six actors who portrayed James Bond—Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig—discussing the need for a new generation of secret agents before Harry and Eggsy entered the room, symbolizing the passing of the torch to a new franchise of spy films. Almost all of the actors agreed to appear and Vaughan agreed to shoot the scene, but the plans were shelved because Connery was too ill with dementia by that time.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: The film was released on digital HD on 15 May 2015 and on Blu-ray and DVD on 9 June. It was released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on 1 March 2016.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: "Kingsman: The Secret Service" grossed $414.4 million worldwide; $24.2 million of the takings were generated from the UK market and $128.3 million from North America.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: "Kingsman" opened on 30 January 2015 in the UK, Sweden, Ireland and Malta. In the UK the film opened with $6.5 million and debuted at second place (behind "Big Hero 6"). The following weekend it opened in two additional countries: Australia and New Zealand. It debuted atop the box office in both countries and had a successful opening in Australia with $3.6 million. In its third weekend, it earned $23 million from 4,844 screens in 39 countries. It topped the box office in three countries; Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand, the rest of which were dominated by "Fifty Shades of Grey". In its fourth weekend, it expanded to a total of 54 countries and grossed $33.4 million from 5,940 screens. Its biggest opener outside of North America was in China where it earned $27.9 million. Other high openings occurred in South Korea ($5.3 million) Russia and the CIS ($3.6 million), Taiwan ($3.4 million), and France ($3.3 million).


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: In the United States and Canada, the film opened on 13 February and was predicted to debut to around $28 million. The film opened in 3,204 cinemas and grossed $10.4 million on its first day, $15.4 million on its second day and $10.4 million on its third day, for a weekend gross of $36.2 million (an $11,300-per-cinema average), finishing second at the box office behind "Fifty Shades of Grey". During the four-day Presidents Day weekend it grossed $41.8 million.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes sampled 264 critics and judged 75% of the reviews positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads "Stylish, subversive, and above all fun, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" finds director Matthew Vaughn sending up the spy genre with gleeful abandon". On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". The Movie Review Query Engine (MRQE) rates the film at 63 out of 100, based on 108 film critic reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore, gave the film a grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Peter Travers of "Rolling Stone" said of the film, "This slam-bang action movie about British secret agents is deliriously shaken, not stirred ... Even when it stops making sense, Kingsman is unstoppable fun". Jordan Hoffman, writing for "The Guardian", said of the film, "The spirit of 007 is all over this movie, but Vaughn's script ... has a licence to poke fun. ... no one involved in the production can believe they're getting away with making such a batshit Bond." Comparing the film to those of Christopher Nolan, Hoffman said, "Despite the presence of grandfatherly Michael Caine, Kingsman's tone is about as far from the Christopher Nolan-style superhero film as you can get. Verisimilitude is frequently traded in for a rich laugh". Peter Bradshaw, writing for "The Guardian", called the film "a smirking spy spoof, weirdly charmless and dated in unintentional ways", commenting that "it is a film forever demanding to be congratulated on how "stylish" it is."


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Some reviewers were critical of the film's depiction of violence, which was considered to be too graphic for a comedy. Anthony Lane of "The New Yorker" stated, "Few recent movies have fetched quite as far as 'Kingsman', and countless viewers will relish the brazen zest of its invention." However, Lane was critical of the film's use of stereotypes. Manohla Dargis of "The New York Times" enjoyed the film, but criticised Vaughn's use of violence as a cinematic tool, calling it "narrative overkill". Jason Ward of "The Guardian" wrote that "[e]verything about Kingsman exists to disguise the fact that it is solidly conservative". His examples include "[t]he depiction of Valentine's plan as a throwback to a less serious era of spy movies [which] is revealed as a feint, with the ulterior motive of undermining environmentalists". Likewise, "The A.V. Club"s Ignatiy Vishnevetsky commented that, "Far from being a "Team America"-style send-up of gentleman spy movies, "Kingsman" is actually even more reactionary than the movies it's referencing; it traffics in the kind of Tory values Bond flicks merely suggest ... the thing is, the movie "is" fun, at least from a visual design standpoint, even though it's hard to separate its bespoke fashions, future-vintage gadgets, and aristocratic décor from its fusty worldview". Peter Sobczynski of "RogerEbert.com", who gave the film two out of four stars, likened Vaughn's script to the spy film equivalent of "Scream" and also criticised the overuse of graphic violence, despite its cartoonish rendering.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Millar and Vaughn stated that a sequel was possible if the film performs well at the box office, and Vaughn expressed interest in directing the sequel. Vaughn also noted that he hoped to have Firth back in the sequel, and that Strong was interested in returning as well. It was confirmed that Taron Egerton was contracted for the sequel. When asked how they would incorporate Firth's character into the sequel, Millar stated that various ideas have been discussed, including giving Harry Hart an evil brother, or perhaps turning the character into a ghost. Fox announced a sequel was in the works, but it was unclear if Vaughn would return to direct. On 11 June 2015, it was confirmed Vaughn had begun writing the sequel, and that he might return to direct it. Principal photography was set to begin in April 2016, with a 6 October 2017 release date. It was reported that Julianne Moore was in talks to star as the new villain, and Halle Berry might sign on as the Head of the CIA. On 18 March 2016, Edward Holcroft was also confirmed to reprise his role as Charles "Charlie" Hesketh.


title: Kingsman: The Secret Service

text: Vaughn later revealed the sequel's title to be "". The plot follows Eggsy and Merlin joining forces with "Statesman", their American counterpart after Kingsman was destroyed by the film's villain Poppy, played by Moore. On 7 April 2016, Egerton revealed the first poster for the film, which strongly hinted that Firth would return for the film, as it featured Harry Hart's trademark pair of glasses with one of the lenses missing below the tagline (a borrowed quote from Mark Twain) stating "reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated." Sophie Cookson also reprised her role as Roxy Morton in the sequel. On 12 April 2016, Elton John was in talks about joining the cast of the upcoming sequel. John would not be playing a character, but having screen time as himself.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The Armed Forces of Ukraine (), most commonly known in Ukraine as ZSU () or anglicized as AFU, are the military forces of Ukraine. All military and security forces, including the Armed Forces, are under the command of the president of Ukraine and subject to oversight by a permanent Verkhovna Rada parliamentary commission. The modern armed forces were formed in 1991 and consisted of three former Soviet Armed Forces military districts stationed in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine's armed forces are composed of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, the Ukrainian Air Force, the Ukrainian Navy, the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces and the Special Operations Forces. Ukraine's navy includes its own Ukrainian Naval Infantry, as well as Ukrainian Naval Aviation. The Territorial Defense Forces serve as the military reserve force and in cases of war, it can be mass mobilized for civilian volunteers to serve in local defense. The Ukrainian Sea Guard is the coast guard service of Ukraine, but it is part of the Border Guard Service and not subordinate to the navy. The Ukrainian Air Defence Forces were a branch responsible for anti-aircraft warfare from 1991 until it was merged with the Air Force in 2004.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Because of the Russian military intervention in Ukraine in 2014, the president commissioned the governors of regions of Ukraine to create volunteer units under the government's Territorial Defense Forces. These units received minimal funding from regional budgets initially and mostly relied on donations. In November 2014, most of the territorial defense battalions were integrated into the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The National Guard of Ukraine serves as a paramilitary reserve component of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Following hostilities with Russia in 2014, Ukraine increased the size of its armed forces to 204,000 soldiers (+46,000 civil servants), not counting additional forces such as the border guards (53,000), the newly formed National Guard of Ukraine (60,000) or the security service. In 2021, Ukraine's Armed Forces, consisting of 246,445 (195,626 military personnel), was the second largest in the region, after the Russian Armed Forces.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Military units of other countries have participated regularly in multinational military exercises with Ukrainian forces in Ukraine. Many of these exercises have been held under the NATO cooperation program Partnership for Peace.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The formation of the national armed forces in the modern sense dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century and coincides with the formation of the modern Ukrainian nation. In official history, this period is referred to as the "Ukrainian War of Independence" or the "First Liberation Struggle." This process coincided with the end of the First World War and the subsequent collapse of the great European empires that had been formed during the previous centuries. The forerunner of this process was the formation of national military formations in the Imperial and Royal Armies of Austria-Hungary, namely the Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, based on the formation of which were Ukrainian paramilitary organizations in Galicia: Sich Sports and Fire Brigade, «Sokil» and the national scout organization «Plast».


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: After the upheavals of the World War I and on the verge of the collapse of empires, the Ukrainians made another attempt to restore statehood. As part of the growing disintegration in the ranks of the Russian Imperial Army, the process of forming national units began. After the Bolshevik coup, this process immediately resulted in a hybrid war with the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and Whites. Already during the undeclared war, the Army of the Ukrainian People's Republic was formed, but its formation was interrupted by the German administration. It continued in a limited form after the establishment of the hetmanate; a political entity ruled by a hetman. During the time of Pavlo Skoropadskyi's Ukrainian State, the development of the national armed forces was continued. The Armed Forces of the Ukrainian state were developed with a more systematic approach than previous attempts, although previous developments were used in this process, but many mistakes were also made. This eventually resulted in the Anti-Hetman Uprising and the reorientation of the Central Powers, which lost World War I in an attempt to reconcile with the Entente, which in turn was inclined to support the White Guard movement and the "single and indivisible" Russian Empire as its original ally.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Simultaneously with these events, after the fall of the Russian Empire in 1917, numerous military formations were formed on Ukrainian lands, including detachments of the Free Cossacks, Father Makhno's Ukrainian Insurgent Army, and the Bolshevik Red Cossacks. The latter became the basis of the puppet armed forces of the UkrSSR, and after the occupation of the Ukrainian People's Republic were included in the Red Army. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, the Ukrainian Galician Army came to the defense of the Western Ukrainian People's Republic, based on the formation of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen of the former Austro-Hungarian Army.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: During World War II, Ukrainians tried to regain independence and organized armed units and formations, including the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, but all of them were destroyed by Soviet authorities within a few years after the war, and Ukrainians were again forced to serve in the Soviet Army.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: By 1992, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had been completely inherited from the Soviet Union, in which Ukraine had been a member state (a union republic). Like other Soviet republics, it did not possess its own separate military command, as all military formations were uniformly subordinated to the central command of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Administratively, the Ukrainian SSR was divided into three Soviet military districts (the Carpathian Military District, Kyiv Military District, and Odesa Military District). Three Soviet air commands and most of the Black Sea Fleet naval bases were located on the coast of Ukraine.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 (see Novo-Ogaryovo process), the newly independent state of Ukraine inherited one of the most powerful force groupings in Europe. According to an associate of the Conflict Studies Research Centre, James Sherr: "This grouping, its inventory of equipment and its officer corps was designed for one purpose: to wage combined arms, coalition, offensive (and nuclear) warfare against NATO on an external front". At that time, the former Soviet armed forces in the Ukrainian SSR included the 43rd Rocket Army, the 5th, 14th 17th and 24th Air Armies of the Soviet Air Forces, an air-defense army (8th Air Defence Army), three regular armies, two tank armies, the 32nd Army Corps, and the Black Sea Fleet. Altogether the Armed Forces of Ukraine included about 780,000 personnel, 6,500 tanks, about 7,000 combat armored vehicles, 1,500 combat aircraft, and more than 350 ships. Along with their equipment and personnel, Ukraine's armed forces inherited the battle honors and lineage of the Soviet forces stationed in Ukraine. However, due to the deterioration of Russian-Ukrainian relations and the continued stigma of being associated with the Soviet Union, in 2015 the President of Ukraine ordered the removal of most of the citations awarded to the Ukrainian units during the Soviet era.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In February 1991, a parliamentary Standing Commission for Questions of Security and Defense was established. On 24 August 1991, the Ukrainian parliament (the Verkhovna Rada), in adopting the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, also enacted a short resolution "About military formations in Ukraine". This took jurisdiction over all formations of the armed forces of the Soviet Union stationed on Ukrainian soil and established one of the key agencies, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. On 3 September 1991, the Ministry of Defence commenced its duties. On 22 October 1991 units and formations of the Soviet Armed Forces on Ukrainian soil were nationalized. Subsequently, the Supreme Council of Ukraine adopted two Laws of Ukraine on 6 December 1991, and Presidential Decree #4 "About Armed Forces of Ukraine" on 12 December 1991. The government of Ukraine surrendered any rights of succession to the Soviet Strategic Deterrence Forces (see Strategic Missile Troops) that were staged on the territory of Ukraine. Recognizing the complications of a smooth transition and seeking a consensus with other former members of the Soviet Union in dividing up their Soviet military inheritance, Ukraine joined ongoing talks that started in December 1991 regarding a of the Commonwealth of Independent States.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Inherent in the process of creating a domestic military were political decisions by the Ukrainian leadership regarding the country's non-nuclear and international status. Among these were the definition, agreement, and ratification of the 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) which not only established the maximum level of armament for each republic of the former USSR, but also a special ceiling for the so-called CFE "Flank Region". Included in this region were Ukraine's Mykolaiv, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Another key event in the development of the Ukrainian military was the 1992 Tashkent Treaty, which laid out aspirations for a Commonwealth of Independent States military. This collective military proved impossible to develop because the former republics of the USSR all wished to go their own way, ripping the intricate Soviet military machine into pieces.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine had observer status with the Non-Aligned Movement of nation-states from 1996. However, due to the 2014 Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada repealed this status in December 2014.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited two divisions of the Strategic Rocket Forces' 43rd Rocket Army (HQ Vinnytsia): the 19th Rocket Division (Khmelnytskyi) (90 UR-100N/SS-19/RS-18) and the 46th Rocket Division at Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv Oblast, equipped with 40 SS-19 and 46 silo-mounted RT-23 Molodets/SS-24s. While Ukraine had physical control of these systems, it did not have operational control. The use of the weapons was dependent on Russian-controlled electronic Permissive Action Links and the Russian command and control system.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine voluntarily gave up these and all other nuclear weapons during the early 1990s. This was the first time in history that a country voluntarily gave up the use of strategic nuclear weapons, although South Africa was dismantling its small tactical nuclear weapons program at about the same time.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine has plentiful amounts of highly enriched uranium, which the United States wanted to buy from the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology. Ukraine also has two uranium mining and processing factories, a heavy water plant and technology for determining the isotopic composition of fissionable materials. Ukraine has deposits of uranium that are among the world's richest. In May 1992, Ukraine signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) in which the country agreed to give up all nuclear weapons and to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state. Ukraine ratified the treaty in 1994, and as of 1 January 1996, no military nuclear equipment or materials remain on Ukrainian territory.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: On 13 May 1994, the United States and Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Transfer of Missile Equipment and Technology. This agreement committed Ukraine to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) by controlling exports of missile-related equipment and technology according to the MTCR Guidelines.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine and NATO estimate that 2.5 million tons of conventional ammunition were left in Ukraine as the Soviet military withdrew, as well as more than 7 million rifles, pistols, mortars, and machine guns. The surplus weapons and ammunition were stored in over 180 military bases, including in bunkers, salt mines and in the open. As of 2014, much of this surplus had not been scrapped.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine's first military reforms began in December 1996, with the adoption of a new "State Program for the Building and Development of the Armed Forces of Ukraine". One of the aspects was to shrink the standard combat unit from division size to brigade size which would then fall under the command of one of the three newly created military district; the Western Operational Command, the Southern Operational Command, and the largest – the Northern Operational/Territorial Command. Only Ukraine's 1st Airmobile Division was not downsized. This downsizing occurred purely for financial reasons, with the Ukrainian economy in recession this was a way to shrink the government (defense) expenditure and at the same time release hundreds of thousands of young people into the private sector to stimulate growth. During this time Ukraine's military-industrial complex also began to develop new indigenous weapons for the armed forces like the T-84 tank, the BMP-1U, the BTR-3, KrAZ-6322, and the Antonov An-70. All these reforms were championed by Leonid Kuchma, the second President of Ukraine, who wanted to retain a capable military and a functioning military-industrial complex on the basis of a mistrust for Russia, stating once "The threat of Russification is a real concern for us".


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The cancellation of the modernization program left a question of how to provide jobs in the military industrial complex which then comprised a double-digit percentage of the GDP. Export of new and modernized weapons on the world's arms markets was settled on as the best option, where Ukraine both tried to undercut the contracts of the Russian arms industry – offering the same service for a cheaper price, and was willing to sell equipment to whoever was willing to pay (more than once to politically unstable or even aggressive regimes), causing negative reactions from both Western Europe and the United States federal government. During this time 320 T-80 tanks were sold to Pakistan and an unfinished Soviet aircraft carrier the Varyag which today is known as the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Though the military was well-equipped, it still experienced lack of funds particularly for training and exercises, which led to a number of incidents with one notable one being the Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 of 2001 the other Sknyliv airshow disaster of 2002. Still, the military's effectiveness was demonstrated during the Tuzla Island Conflict. In 2003 Ukraine completed its first set of reforms which were judged largely successful, with the personnel numbers stabilizing at 295,000 of which 90,000 were civilian contractors.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukrainian military tactics and organization are heavily dependent on Cold War tactics and former Soviet Armed Forces organization. Under former President Yushchenko, Ukraine pursued a policy of independence from Russian dominance, and thus tried to fully integrate with the West, specifically NATO.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Until the Euromaidan crisis of 2014, Ukraine retained tight military relations with Russia, inherited from their common Soviet history. Common uses for naval bases in the Crimea and joint air defense efforts were the most intense cooperative efforts. This cooperation was a permanent irritant in bilateral relations, but Ukraine appeared economically dependent on Moscow, and thus unable to break such ties quickly. After the election of President Viktor Yanukovych, ties between Moscow and Kyiv warmed, and those between Kyiv and NATO cooled, relative to the Yushchenko years.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In March 2014, following the Revolution of Dignity and the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, the government of Ukraine announced a new military service, the National Guard of Ukraine. Previously, a National Guard had existed up until 2000, so the 2014 NG was a reformation of the one raised in 1991, but this time formed part of the Internal Troops of Ukraine.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In May 2014, when the Russian aggression started in the eastern regions, a helicopter with 14 soldiers on board, including General Serhiy Kulchytskiy, who headed combat and special training for the country's National Guard, was brought down by militants near Sloviansk in East Ukraine. Outgoing President Oleksandr Turchynov described the downing as a "terrorist attack," and blamed pro-Russian militants.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In the early months of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Armed Forces were widely criticised for their poor equipment and inept leadership, forcing Internal Affairs Ministry forces like the National Guard and the territorial defence battalions to take on the brunt of the fighting in the first months of the war.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In late July 2015, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry revealed new Ukrainian Armed Forces uniform designs, and later a revised rank insignia system was created. These made their national debut on 24 August 2016, at the National Independence Day Silver Jubilee parade in Independence Square, Kyiv.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: From the early 1990s, the Armed Forces had a large number of units and formations with Soviet Armed Forces decorations dating back to the Second World War or earlier. Due to the decommunization process in Ukraine, all these decorations were removed from unit titles and regimental colours by 15 November 2015 to cease promotion and glorification of the Soviet symbols. Ukraine also had retained a number of Guards units, also following a Soviet tradition. A list can be seen at List of guards units of Ukraine. On 22 August 2016, the "Guards" titles were removed from all unit and formation names. Only one brigade, the 51st, a former Guards unit, had been dissolved the year before.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: By February 2018, the Ukrainian armed forces were larger and better equipped than ever before, numbering 200,000 active-service military personnel and most of the volunteer soldiers of the territorial defence battalions have been integrated into the official Ukrainian army.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: A late 2017-early 2018 United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported that human rights abuses allegedly committed by Ukrainian security forces and armed groups remained an ongoing issue of the war in Donbas that erupted in 2014. The nature of the alleged crimes ranged from unlawful or arbitrary detention to torture, ill-treatment, and sexual violence. Within the reporting period of 16 November 2017 to 15 February 2018 the OHCHR monitoring mission documented 115 cases of credible allegations of human rights violations committed by both sides of the conflict since 2014.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine's stated national policy is Euro-Atlantic integration, with the European Union. Ukraine has a "Distinctive Partnership" with NATO (see Enlargement of NATO) and has been an active participant in Partnership for Peace exercises and in peacekeeping in the Balkans. This close relationship with NATO has been most apparent in Ukrainian cooperation and combined peacekeeping operations with its neighbor Poland in Kosovo. Ukrainian servicemen also served under NATO command in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Operation Active Endeavour. Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych considered the level of co-operation between Ukraine and NATO sufficient. His predecessor Viktor Yushchenko had asked for Ukrainian membership by early 2008. During the 2008 Bucharest summit, NATO had declared that Ukraine will become a member of NATO whenever it wants and when it meets the criteria for accession. Yanukovych, however, opted to keep Ukraine a non-aligned state. This materialized on June 3, 2010, when the Verkhovna Rada excluded, with 226 votes, the goal of "integration into Euro-Atlantic security and NATO membership" from the country's national security strategy. Amid the Euromaidan unrest, Yanukovych fled Ukraine in February 2014.The interim Yatsenyuk Government which came to power, initially said, with reference to the country's non-aligned status, that it had no plans to join NATO. However, following the Russo-Ukrainian War and parliamentary elections in October 2014, the new government made joining NATO a priority. On 23 December 2014, the Verkhovna Rada renounced Ukraine's non-aligned status that "proved to be ineffective in guaranteeing Ukraine's security and protecting the country from external aggression and pressure". The Ukrainian military is since transforming to NATO standards. Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk stated early February 2016 that "de facto" the Armed Forces must, soon as possible, begin its transition for Ukrainian entry into NATO and towards NATO-capable armed forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a renewed call to Western powers for NATO membership during the Russian buildup on the border in 2021 but was ultimately unsuccessful.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Beginning Thursday, 24 February 2022, the Russian Armed Forces launched an invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with its auxiliary and wartime-affiliated organizations, have been participants of many of the combat actions of the current conflict. Alongside the combat actions, the influx of Western weapons and materiel to the Armed Forces from NATO member armed forces, ex-Soviet stock from many Eastern European nations as well as captured Russian tanks, armed vehicles and other weapons have also resulted in an ongoing modernization and expansion of the forces at large.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: the total personnel was 200,000 (including 41,000 civilian workers). Conscription was stopped in October 2013; at that time the Ukrainian armed forces were made up of 40% conscripts and 60% contract soldiers. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov reinstated conscription in May 2014.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In early 2014, Ukraine had 130,000 personnel in its armed forces, which could be boosted to about one million with reservists.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: There were a reported total of 250,800 personnel in the Armed Forces in 2015. In July 2022, Defense Minister Resnikov stated that the Armed Forces had an active strength of 700,000; Resnikov also mentioned that with the Border Guard, National Guard, and police added, the total comes to around one million.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Following the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine adopted a military doctrine focusing on defense against Russia and announced Ukraine's intentions for closer relations with NATO armed services, most especially if it joins the organization in the future.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The law 'On the Foundations of National Resistance' establishes the following structure of the Ukrainian Armed Forces:


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The Chief of the General Staff oversees the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The following units fall under the direct supervision of the General Staff:


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: As of 2016, there were a reported 169,000 personnel in the Ukrainian Ground Forces. The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in massive increases in personnel numbers; Defence Minister Resnikov stated the armed forces had a strength of 700,000 in July 2022, not counting the border guard, national guard, or police. The Ukrainian Ground Forces are divided into Armoured and Mechanized Forces, Army Aviation, Army Air Defence and Rocket and Artillery Troops. There are 13 mechanized brigades and two mountain warfare brigades in the Mechanized Forces. Ukraine also has two armoured brigades. There are also seven rocket and artillery brigades. Until 2013, the Ground Forces were divided into three army corps. These were disbanded in 2013 and reorganized as Operation Command West, Operation Command North and Operation Command South. Operation Command East was formed in 2015 to coordinate forces in the war in Donbas.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The Ukrainian Air Assault Forces are composed of 8 air landing, air assault and air-mobile brigades and support units. These are high-readiness ground units without air-assets and are considered elite within the armed forces.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The Communications and Cybernetic Security Troops Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces () is a separate joint forces command under the General Staff since 5 February 2020.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Since 1 January 2022, the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Since 1 January 2022, support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff. The logistical forces are mainly organised in two arms – Weaponry and Rear Services.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Since January 1, 2022 the support forces have the status of a separate joint branch under the General Staff.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The military police (named the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces ("Військова служба правопорядку Збройних Сил України"), abbreviated VSP ("ВСП") in Ukrainian) is a special military service outside General Staff control and subordinated directly to the Ministry of Defence.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Western Territorial Directorate (direct responsibility over Lviv Oblast) (MU А0583), Lviv, Lviv Oblast


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Southern Territorial Directorate (direct responsibility over Odessa Oblast) (MU А1495), Odessa, Odessa Oblast


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Eastern Territorial Directorate (direct responsibility over Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) (MU А2256), Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: A number of universities have specialized military institutes, such as the Faculty of Military Legal Studies at Kharkiv's Yaroslav Mudryi National Law Academy of Ukraine. The primary Ukrainian military academies are:


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: For participating in the war in Donbas, (in May 2017 7.5 thousand) soldiers on the front line receive an average salary of ₴16,000. The minimum maintenance for a contract soldier is ₴7,000.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The Soviet Union required all able-bodied male citizens to serve two years in the armed forces (three years if drafted into the navy), although the draft could be postponed due to continued higher education. It was possible to be drafted into non-Ministry of Defense military forces, such as the KGB Border Guards, the Militsiya, or the Internal Troops. When Ukraine gained its independence, it retained the policy of conscription, although the time in service was reduced to 18 months in the navy and one year in all other services. Ukraine also gradually began recruiting professional soldiers, although in almost all cases a person had to serve as a conscript prior to becoming a professional soldier. The Ukrainian Naval Infantry was the first service to convert to being staffed by fully professional marines.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In October 2013, President Viktor Yanukovych ended conscription in Ukraine. At the time 60% of Ukraine's forces were composed of professional soldiers. However, due to the Russo-Ukrainian War, conscription, as well as a partial mobilization, was reinstated in 2014. Ukraine modified the age group of males eligible for conscription for 2015 from 18–25 to the 20–27 age group.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: After serving out the term of service Ukraine's conscripts become part of the inactive reserve and are eligible to be recalled for mobilization until they reach age 55, age 60 for officers. Due to the War in Donbas, Ukraine has instated a partial mobilization to fill needed positions in its armed forces, recalling conscripts who have served before, because of the war many conscripts have also been forced to serve longer than their original 18-month term of service. It was planned that in 2015 Ukraine would undergo three waves of partial mobilization, this would have allowed new troops to replace those serving longer than their original term of service.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Due to the reintroduction of conscription, and partial mobilization, Ukraine's armed forces is expected to nearly double from approximately 130,000 personnel in December 2014 to approximately 250,000 personnel in 2015.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: All medical workers in Ukraine, regardless of gender, are eligible to be called up for service in case of a national emergency.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Draft dodging is present in Ukraine, as with most nations using the draft. It was reported that between April and August 2014, over 1,000 criminal inquires into draft evasion were opened in Ukraine. Draft evasion can be problematic because, unless a male citizen was unable to serve for medical reasons, an application to receive an international passport of Ukraine may be denied due to a lack of military service, thus preventing the individual from traveling abroad.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In the autumn of 2016, longer deployment of mobilized servicemen to combat area in the east of Ukraine was ceased.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: On 1 February 2022, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the changing of the military training system, leading to the end of conscription by 1 January 2024. By the same date, there would be an increase in the number of professional servicemen by 100,000, to be achieved by better pay, with all military personnel to be guaranteed at least three times the minimum wage, and better housing provision. However, the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended these plans, along with massive popular mobilization into the Territorial Defence Forces.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: On 28 February 2022, President Zelenskyy offered release for prisoners with combat experience if they join the fight against Russia.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: According to Defense Ministry figures early June 2016 some 49,500 women served in and worked in the Ukrainian military; more than 17,000 were military servicewomen, of which more than 2,000 officers. In 2020 58,000 women served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Women have also joined the various volunteer territorial defense battalions before the order for women's integration in the armed forces was enacted. Women are eligible to be drafted into the military as officers. In 2009 women comprised almost 13% of the armed forces (18,000 personnel) but with few females holding high rank (2.9% or 1,202 women). Contractual military service accounted for almost 44% of women. However, this being closely linked to the low salary of such positions: men refuse to serve in these conditions while women accept them.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: For the first time in 27 years, a battalion of 120 female military personnel, comprising cadets from the Taras Shevchenko National University Military Institute and the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Information Technologies, participated in the Kyiv Independence Day Parade in August 2018. Their appearance as they marched along Khreshchatyk was greeted with loud applause from the spectators.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In September 2018, legislation was passed to make both women and men equal in the military and law enforcement agencies. The following month became Ukraine's first female general (she was appointed the head of the Military Medical Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine).


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Nadiya Savchenko is perhaps one of the most well-known female Ukrainian soldiers, and was held as a prisoner in Russia from July 2014 until May 2016.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Although not components of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, these militarized institutions are supposed to come under the Armed Forces' command during wartime:


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine has been playing an increasingly larger role in peacekeeping operations. Since 1992, over 30,000 soldiers have taken part in missions in the former Yugoslavia (IFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNPROFOR and UNTAES in Croatia, KFor in Kosovo), the Middle East (Southern Lebanon, Kuwait, Iraq), and Africa (Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia).


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Since 1997, Ukraine has been working closely with NATO and especially with Poland. A Ukrainian unit was deployed as part of the multinational force in Iraq under Polish command. Ukrainian troops are also deployed as part of the Ukrainian-Polish Battalion (UKRPOLBAT) in Kosovo. The total Ukrainian military deployment around the world as of 1 August 2009 was 540 servicemen participating in 8 peacekeeping missions.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The first battle of a regular formation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces happened on 6 April 2004, in Kut, Iraq, when the Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent was attacked by militants of the Mahdi Army. The Ukrainians took fire, and over several hours held the objectives they had been assigned to secure.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukrainian troops as part of the former Soviet Armed Forces contingent participated in UNPROFOR in 1992, and in the summer of that year were involved into the civil war in Yugoslavia. On 3 July 1992, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution committing the Ukrainian Armed Forces to UN peacekeeping missions. The Minister of Defense, Kostyantyn Morozov, ordered the creation of the 240th Separate Special Battalion (UKRBAT-1) which was based on the 93rd Guards Motor Rifle Division (now the 93rd Mechanized Brigade). Soon after arrival in Sarajevo on 31 July 1992, the battalion's artillery ended up in the middle of a mutual mortar fight between the Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims. One of the Serbian shells hit the Ukrainian position, seriously wounding seven soldiers, one of whom died after hospitalization in Germany.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Since gaining independence Ukraine has deployed troops to Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, as well as dedicating peacekeepers to UN missions to Africa (including helicopter units). Ukrainian naval units also participated in anti piracy operations off the coast of Somalia prior to being recalled due to the 2014 Russian intervention in Ukraine.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: On 19 January 2015, Ukraine's 18th separate helicopter detachment along with other MONUSCO troops carried out a successful operation eliminating 2 camps belonging to illegal armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: On 2 March 2014, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were placed on full alert following a Russian military intervention in Crimea.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: On 19 March 2014, Ukraine drew plans to withdraw all its troops and their families to the mainland "quickly and efficiently".


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In 2017, Ukraine's National Security Strategy foresaw that its National Security and Defense budget should be at least 5% of Ukraine's GDP.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: On 21 December 2016, the Verkhovna Rada adopted its 2017 National Security and Defense budget worth $5.172 billion; that being 5% of Ukraine's GDP. In 2016 defense expenditures amounted to $4.4 billion, or 5% of the GDP. This (2016 figure) was a 23% increase from 2013 and a 65% increase from 2005. From the total, 60% was budgeted to be spent on defence and 40% on security and policing. 2016 also saw a 30% increase in weapons development spending.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In 2017, corruption, historically widespread in Ukraine, combined with small budgets left the military in such a depleted condition that their ability to confront the crisis in Crimea and the Donbas was minimal. All Ukrainian defence sector was heavily affected by the systemic corruption which is hindering its capacity to perform the tasks of national security. In addition, it undermined popular trust in the military as an institution. Despite great effort to resolve the issue there were signs that enough is not being done.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The Ukrainian government has launched major structural reforms of the army to meet NATO standards by 2020, but few believed that it could successfully meet a deadline. Most part of the problems remained intact, for example: lack of civilian and parliamentary control of the armed forces, lack of internal coordination between different departments, poor integration of volunteers into the regular army, impunity and abusive behavior of military personnel in the conflict zone and systemic corruption and opacity of financial resources, especially in the Ukroboronprom defense-industry monopoly.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: In 2018 the military budget grew dramatically, to nearly 5% of GDP. Corruption remained a serious problem operating at all levels of Ukrainian society, and the lack of modern military organizational structure confounded efforts at reform. By 2022, some reforms had been made.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: "Security and Defense" combined budget apart from Department of Defense (Defense Ministry) for Armed Forces of Ukraine, also includes expenses for Police, Customs, and Border Control.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine provides combat veterans with a range of benefits. Ukrainians who served in World War II, the Soviet–Afghan War, or as liquidators at the Chernobyl disaster are eligible for benefits such as monthly allowances, discounts on medical and pharmacy services, free use of public transportation, additional vacation days from work, retention priority in work layoffs, easier access to loans and associated approval processes, preference when applying for security related positions, priority when applying to vocational schools or trade schools, and electricity, gas, and housing subsidies. Veterans are also eligible to stay at military sanatoriums, space permitting. Since gaining independence, Ukraine has deployed troops to Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, gaining a new generation of veterans separate from those who have served in the Soviet forces. Most recently, the government passed a law extending veteran benefits to Ukrainian troops responding to the war in Donbas. Moreover, veterans from other nations who move to or reside in Ukraine may be eligible for some of the listed benefits, this provision was likely made to ensure World War II, Chernobyl, and Afghanistan veterans from other Soviet states who moved to Ukraine received similar benefits, however as Ukraine has participated in numerous NATO-led conflicts since its independence, it is unclear if NATO veterans would be extended these benefits.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Veteran groups are not as developed as in the United States, which has numerous well known national organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars. World War II veterans, and even persons who have lived through the war are generally treated with the highest respect. Other veterans are not as well known. Ukrainian veterans from the Soviet–Afghan War are strikingly similar to the Vietnam War veterans of the United States. The Soviet Union generally kept the public in the dark through the war, and it has often been labeled as a mistake by the Soviet Union and its successor states. The lack of media coverage and censorship through the war also ensured that many still remain unaware of their nation's involvement in the conflict. Despite Ukraine having the third-largest contingent of troops in Iraq in 2004, few also realize that their nation has many veterans of the Iraq War.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Due to the ongoing conflict with Russia, another generation of veterans has appeared in Ukraine. These veterans would be eligible for the same benefits as all others. However, as there was no official declaration of war, it was difficult to determine the cut-off date for veteran benefits, leaving many that participated at the beginning of the conflict without benefits. At first, Ukraine only gave benefits posthumously to family members, as there was no legal framework to account for the veterans, moreover, members of territorial defense battalions were not eligible for benefits at all. In August, a law was passed granting all service members participating in the war in Donbas the status of veterans, five months after first hostilities broke out in Crimea, the territorial defense battalions were integrated into the National Guard making them part of Ukraine's forces, thus allowing their volunteers to receive veteran status.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Veterans of the war in Donbas are eligible for receiving apartments (if staying in active duty) or a land plot for building purposes of 1,000 sq. metres in the district of their registration.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: Ukraine received about 30% of the Soviet military industry, which included between 50 and 60 percent of all Ukrainian enterprises, employing 40% of its working population. Ukraine was a leader in missile-related technology, navigation electronics for combat vessels and submarines, guidance systems, and radar for military jets, heavy armoured vehicles.


title: Armed Forces of Ukraine

text: The military-technical policy in the field of development and modernization of weapons and military equipment provides the Central Scientific Research Institute of Armament and Military Equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Charles Matthew Hunnam (; born 10 April 1980) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Pete Dunham in "Green Street Hooligans" (2005) and as Jax Teller in the FX series "Sons of Anarchy" (2008–2014). For the latter, he was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Hunnam also portrayed the title role in "Nicholas Nickleby" (2002), Raleigh Becket in "Pacific Rim" (2013), Alan McMichael in "Crimson Peak" (2015), Percy Fawcett in "The Lost City of Z" (2016), the title role in "" (2017), William "Ironhead" Miller in "Triple Frontier", Raymond Smith in "The Gentlemen" (both in 2019), and Detective Charlie Waldo in "Last Looks" (2022).


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: His other notable television roles include Nathan Maloney in the Channel 4 drama "Queer as Folk" (1999–2000), Lloyd Haythe on the Fox series "Undeclared" (2001–2002) and Dale Conti/Lindsay "Linbaba" Ford in the Apple TV+ series "Shantaram" (2022).


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Charles Matthew Hunnam was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 10 April 1980, the son of Jane Bell, a ballet dancer and business owner, and William Hunnam. One of his grandmothers was a portrait artist. He has said that his mother "did a very good job" of being a single parent. He has an older brother named William and two younger half brothers on his mother's side named Oliver and Christian.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: At age 12, when his mother remarried, the family moved to Melmerby, Cumbria. During his adolescence, he played rugby football and fought with his classmates, so he was expelled from Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Penrith, Cumbria, which forced him to study and to take exams from home. After that, instead of going to university, he decided to go to the Cumbria College of Art and Design in Carlisle (now part of the University of Cumbria) to study performing arts. He graduated with a dual degree in film theory and film history with a side in performing arts. He planned to write and direct his own films.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Hunnam was discovered at the age of 17 in a branch of JD Sports on Christmas Eve, while playing around with his brother during a trip to buy shoes. A production manager for the Newcastle-based teen drama "Byker Grove "approached Hunnam and he was later cast in his first role as Jason for three episodes of the show. He also had a brief modelling career where he did a photo shoot for Kangol Caps and then decided modelling was not for him. Hunnam's first major role came at age 18 when he was cast by Russell T Davies as 15-year-old schoolboy Nathan Maloney in Davies' Channel 4 drama "Queer as Folk". He followed this up with his role as Daz in the film "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?" (1999) and then moved to the United States.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: His career expanded to include a recurring role as Gregor Ryder in the WB series "Young Americans". He then appeared in the short-lived Fox series "Undeclared" as an English drama student called Lloyd Haythe. Despite critical acclaim, the series was cancelled after one season. Hunnam then appeared on the large screen in "Abandon" (2002), "Nicholas Nickleby" (2002), and "Cold Mountain" (2003). Hunnam has stated that he does not wish to simply take any role that is offered, saying, "I have 60 years to make the money, but the choices I make in the next five years are really going to define my career."


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: This decision resulted in his return to the UK to take the lead role of Pete Dunham in the film "Green Street Hooligans" (2005); however, his attempt at delivering a Cockney accent resulted in his inclusion in many critics' "worst accents in movie history" lists. Hunnam said his role as Patric, a member of "The Fishes" in "Children of Men" (2006), was the final part in his "trilogy of mad men": "I played the psycho in "Cold Mountain", my character in "Green Street Hooligans" is fairly psychotic and now I've got this role."


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: From 2008 to 2014, Hunnam starred in "Sons of Anarchy "as Jackson "Jax" Teller leader of SAMCRO, a prominent motorcycle club set in the fictional town of Charming, California. Hunnam was cast after Kurt Sutter, the creator of the show, saw him in "Green Street Hooligans". His portrayal as Jax Teller has led Hunnam to receive a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination, three EWwy Award nominations for Best Lead Actor in a Drama series, and a PAAFTJ Award nomination for Best Cast in a Drama Series.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: In 2011, Hunnam played the role of Gavin Nichols in the philosophical drama/thriller "The Ledge" by Matthew Chapman.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: In 2012, he starred as the title character in the indie comedy "3,2,1... Frankie Go Boom" alongside his "Sons of Anarchy" co-star Ron Perlman. Hunnam said he considered the day he filmed scenes with Perlman the best and funniest day of filming he's had in his career. He also appeared as Jay, an ex-boxer, in Stefan Ruzowitzky's crime drama "Deadfall" (2012).


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Hunnam starred as Raleigh Becket in Guillermo del Toro's sci-fi film "Pacific Rim", which opened in July 2013 and grossed $411 million worldwide. It was announced on 2 September 2013 that Hunnam would play the lead role of Christian Grey in the film adaptation of E. L. James' novel "Fifty Shades of Grey". However, on 12 October 2013, Universal Pictures announced that Hunnam had withdrawn from the film due to conflicts with the schedule of his series "Sons of Anarchy".


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: On 2 June 2014, Hunnam was awarded a Huading Award for Best Global Emerging Actor, for his role as Raleigh in "Pacific Rim" due to the film performing well in Asian markets. Hunnam reunited with del Toro in the horror film "Crimson Peak", alongside Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, and Jessica Chastain. The film began shooting in February 2014 and was released on 16 October 2015.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Hunnam starred as geographer Percy Fawcett in James Gray's adaptation of author David Grann's 2009 book," ". Gray dubbed his adventure drama "The Lost City of Z," which filmed from August–October 2015. The film had its world premiere 15 October 2016 as the closing night selection at the New York Film Festival. It was released in the United States on 14 April 2017. Hunnam played the eponymous title role in Guy Ritchie's action-adventure film "", which was filmed between March and July 2015. It was released in May 2017. He next starred in Guy Ritchie's 2019 film "The Gentlemen" alongside Matthew McConaughey. Hunnam portrayed Charlie Waldo in the 2022 mystery/thriller "Last Looks" which also featured Mel Gibson. His first feature for Apple TV+, "Shantaram," premiered 14 October 2022. Hunnam leads the cast of characters as Dale Conti/Lindsay "Linbaba" Ford. The series is based on Gregory David Roberts' 2003 autobiographical novel.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Immediately prior to getting cast on "Sons of Anarchy", Hunnam sold his screenplay "Vlad" to Summit Entertainment with Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment co-producing. The film is being directed by music video director and photographer Anthony Mandler, and will focus on the real-life story of Vlad the Impaler. Hunnam learned the story from locals in Romania while shooting "Cold Mountain". He stated that he had not acted in 18 months and was so broke that if he had not managed to sell the script he would have had to sell his house and move back to England to live with his mother.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: In 2013, Hunnam mentioned he was developing a screenplay based on a 2011 "Rolling Stone" article that he optioned about Edgar Valdez Villareal, an American drug lord who ran one of the biggest cartels in Mexico. Another project he has in development is a film about gypsy culture in Britain, which he hopes to direct. He stated that it is "a part of English society that's really seldom been explored, but is one of the most colourful and interesting parts of British society."


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Hunnam met actress Katharine Towne, daughter of actress Julie Payne and filmmaker Robert Towne, in 1999 when they both auditioned for roles on "Dawson's Creek". After dating for three weeks, they married in Las Vegas; they divorced in 2002. He subsequently dated model Sophie Dahl, actress Stella Parker, and film producer Georgina Townsley.


title: Charlie Hunnam

text: Hunnam has dyslexia, as well as a fear of germs and dirt in general. In 2016, he began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Rigan Machado, and went on to receive his blue belt in October 2018.


title: Portugal national football team

text: The Portugal national football team () has represented Portugal in international men's football competition since 1921. The national team is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home matches are played at various stadiums throughout Portugal, and its primary training ground and technical headquarters, Cidade do Futebol, is located in Oeiras. The head coach of the team was most recently Fernando Santos, who stepped down after the 2022 World Cup, and the captain is Cristiano Ronaldo, who also holds the team records for most caps and most goals.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal's first participation in a major tournament finals was at the 1966 World Cup, which saw a team featuring Ballon d'Or winner Eusébio finish in third place. Portugal also made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 1984, losing to hosts and eventual winners France. Under the team's first golden generation in the 1990s, Portugal began consistently featuring in the European Championship and World Cup; they made the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, finishing in fourth place, along with placing as runners-up at Euro 2004 as hosts, and reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and Euro 2012. This was in great part due to the production of several players, such as Luís Figo, Rui Costa, Ricardo Carvalho, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.


title: Portugal national football team

text: In 2014, Fernando Santos was appointed as the new head coach for the national team. Two years later at Euro 2016, Santos led Portugal to its first-ever major trophy, defeating hosts France in the final. With the win, Portugal qualified and made its only appearance in the FIFA Confederations Cup held in Russia, where they finished in third place. Portugal qualified for and hosted the brand new 2019 Nations League finals where they triumphed, defeating the Netherlands and earning their second major tournament victory in three finals.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal is colloquially referred to as the "Seleção das Quinas" (a synecdoche based on the flag of the country) and has notable rivalries with Brazil, due to shared cultural traits and heritage, France, due to several important meetings between the two teams at Euro and World Cup, and Spain, known as "A Guerra Ibérica" in Portuguese or "The Iberian War" in English, with the rivalry between two countries going back to 1581.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal was not invited to the 1930 World Cup, which only featured a final stage and no qualification round. The team took part in the 1934 FIFA World Cup qualification, but failed to eliminate their Spanish opponents, aggregating two defeats in the two-legged round, with a 9–0 loss in Madrid and 2–1 loss in Lisbon for an aggregate score of 11–1.


title: Portugal national football team

text: In the 1938 FIFA World Cup qualification, the "Seleção" played one game against Syria held in neutral ground in Milan. They lost 2–1 and failed to qualify for the finals. The Second World War delayed the World Cup until 1950 and subsequently, the national team rarely played. A 10–0 home friendly loss against England, two years after the war, still stands as their biggest ever defeat.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Similar to 1934, Portugal were to play a two-legged round against Spain. After a 5–1 defeat in Madrid, they managed to draw in the second game 2–2. With a 7–3 aggregate score, they did not qualify on the pitch, however they would later be invited to replace Turkey, which had withdrawn from participating. Portugal refused to participate.


title: Portugal national football team

text: For the qualification of the 1954 World Cup, the team would play Austria; the Austrians won the first game with a 9–1 result. The best the Portuguese could do was hold the Austrians to a goalless draw in Lisbon, resulting in a 9–1 aggregate defeat. In the 1958 World Cup qualification, Portugal won a qualifying match for the first time, a 3–0 home victory over Italy. Nevertheless, they finished last in a group that also featured Northern Ireland; only the first-placed team, Northern Ireland, would qualify.


title: Portugal national football team

text: 1960 was the year that UEFA created the European Championship. The first edition was a knock-out tournament, the last four teams participating in the final stage that only featured one leg while the earlier stages had two legs. In the first round, the "Seleção das Quinas" won 2–0 at East Germany and then 3–2 in Porto, advancing with a 5–2 two-legged win. The quarter-final opponent was Yugoslavia, who won 6–3 on aggregate.


title: Portugal national football team

text: England and Luxembourg were the 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification adversaries of the national team. Portugal ended second in the group, behind England. Only the top team would qualify. In the 1964 European Championship, Portugal played against Bulgaria in the qualifying rounds. The Portuguese lost in Sofia and won in Lisbon. With the round tied 4–4, a replay was needed in a neutral country. In the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Portugal lost 1–0 thanks to a late strike from Georgi Asparuhov.


title: Portugal national football team

text: In the 1966 World Cup qualification, Portugal was drawn into the same group as Czechoslovakia, Romania and Turkey. They topped the group with only one draw and one defeat during all the six games and finally qualified for a FIFA World Cup, that year the final stage would be held in England. Notable results were both 1–0 away wins against Czechoslovakia and Turkey and a 5–1 home win against the Turks.


title: Portugal national football team

text: The team started out with three wins in the group stage where they were in Group C when they beat Hungary 3–1, Bulgaria 3–0, and two-time defending champions Brazil 3–1. Secondly, they beat surprise quarter-finalist North Korea 5–3, with Eusébio getting four markers to overturn a 3–0 deficit. Later, they reached the semi-finals where they were beaten by hosts England 2–1; in this game, Portugal would have played in Liverpool, but as England were the hosts, FIFA decided that the game should have been in the English capital, which led the Portuguese team travel unexpectedly from Liverpool to London. Portugal then defeated the Soviet Union 2–1 in the third place match for their best World Cup finish to date. Eusébio was the top scorer of the World Cup with nine goals.


title: Portugal national football team

text: In the Euro 1972 qualifiers, Portugal finished second in a group that comprised the teams of Belgium, Denmark and Scotland to advance to the finals.


title: Portugal national football team

text: For the 1974 World Cup qualification stages, Portugal were unable to defeat Bulgaria (drawing 2–2) in the decisive match, and thus failed to qualify. Portugal faced tough competition from the strong Poland team for the place in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. They finished second place, behind Poland.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal was put alongside Austria, Belgium, Norway and Scotland to fight for the first spot in the group, which would allow them to go to the final stage of UEFA Euro 1980; they finished third.


title: Portugal national football team

text: For the 1982 qualification, the Portuguese team faced Israel, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Sweden, finishing fourth and failing to qualify.


title: Portugal national football team

text: During the qualifying campaign for Euro 1984, Portugal was grouped with Finland, Poland and the Soviet Union. Portugal won the group with a win over the Soviet Union. Portugal ended in Group B, alongside Spain, West Germany and Romania. In the first two matches, they tied 0–0 and 1–1 against West Germany and Spain, respectively. A 1–0 win over Romania gave them second place in the group, to go through to the knockout stage, where they were matched against the hosts, France. The game was tied after 90 minutes and went into extra time; Portugal made the score 2–1, but France scored in the 114th and 119th minutes to eliminate Portugal 3–2 and go through to the final.


title: Portugal national football team

text: For the 1986 tournament, the "Seleção" played against Czechoslovakia, Malta, Sweden and West Germany for the two spots that would guarantee them a ticket to Mexico. Needing a win in the last game against West Germany in Stuttgart, Portugal won the game to become the first team to beat West Germany at their home ground in an official match. The team exited early in the group stages after a win and two losses. They started with a 1–0 win to England, but later were beaten by Poland and Morocco 1–0 and 3–1 respectively. Their staying in Mexico was marked by the Saltillo Affair, where players refused to train in order to win more prizes from the Portuguese Football Federation.


title: Portugal national football team

text: For the UEFA Euro 1988 the Portuguese team attempted to top their qualifying group in a group with Italy, Malta, Sweden and Switzerland; however, they finished third. The 1990 World Cup qualification was in a group along with Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg and Switzerland, Portugal fought to get one of the first two spots of the group; playing at home against Czechoslovakia, the game ended 0–0 allowing the Central Europeans to get the second place.


title: Portugal national football team

text: During Euro 1992 qualifying, the Netherlands, Greece, Finland and Malta were the Portuguese opponents; Portugal ended second behind the Dutch.


title: Portugal national football team

text: For the 1994 World Cup qualification, Portugal ended third in a group with Estonia, Italy, Malta, Scotland and Switzerland, failing to qualify.


title: Portugal national football team

text: At UEFA Euro 1996, Portugal finished first in Group D, and in the quarter-finals, they lost 1–0 to the Czech Republic.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal failed to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In Euro 2000 qualifying, Portugal finished second in their group, one point short of first-placed Romania. However, after finishing as the top runner-up nation in qualifying, Portugal nonetheless secured passage to the tournament final stage. They then defeated England 3–2, Romania 1–0 and Germany 3–0 to finish first in Group A, then defeated Turkey in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final against France, Portugal were eliminated in extra time when Zinedine Zidane converted a penalty. Referee Günter Benkö awarded the spot kick for a handball after Abel Xavier blocked a shot. Xavier, Nuno Gomes and Paulo Bento were all given lengthy suspensions for subsequently shoving the referee. The final result was 2–1.


title: Portugal national football team

text: During 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Portugal won the group. Several problems and poor judgement decisions occurred during the preparation and tournament itself – shopping sprees by players were widely reported in the Portuguese press. Questionable managing choices and some amateurism, including the same lack of agreement on prizes. Portugal entered the tournament as favourites to win Group D. However, they were upset 3–2 by the United States. They then rebounded with a 4–0 smashing of Poland. Needing a draw to advance, they lost the final group game to hosts South Korea. Portugal underachieved and ended third in its group stage, subsequently eliminated. Manager António Oliveira was fired after the World Cup.


title: Portugal national football team

text: The next major competition, the UEFA Euro 2004, was held in Portugal. On the preparation, the Football Federation made a contract with Luiz Felipe Scolari to manage the team until the tournament ended. The Portuguese team entered the tournament being a favourite to win it.


title: Portugal national football team

text: The host nation lost the first game against Greece 1–2. They got their first win against Russia 2–0 and also beat Spain 1–0. They went on to play against England, in a 2–2 draw that went into penalties, with Portugal winning. Portugal beat the Netherlands 2–1 in the semi-final. They were beaten by Greece 1–0 in the final.


title: Portugal national football team

text: After the tournament ended, a lot of players belonging to the "Geração de Ouro" (Golden Generation), abandoned their international footballing careers, with only Luís Figo remaining in the team, despite a temporary retirement.


title: Portugal national football team

text: The silver lining for Portugal was the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo was selected in the UEFA Euro All Stars Team. While Portugal was playing in the competition, Scolari agreed in a new two-year deal with the Federation.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal finished first place in Group D of the World Cup, with victories over Angola (1–0), Iran (2–0) and Mexico (2–1).


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in the Round of 16 in Nuremberg in an acrimonious match marked by 16 yellow cards, with four players sent off. Portugal drew 0–0 after extra-time with England, but won 3–1 on penalties to reach their first World Cup semi-final since 1966. Portugal lost 1–0 against France in the semi-finals. Portugal faced Germany in the third place play-off match in a 3–1 defeat.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Ultimately, the team won the "Most Entertaining Team" award for their play during the World Cup. Once again Scolari was asked to accept a new deal with the Federation that would maintain with as the manager until the end of the next competition.


title: Portugal national football team

text: For Euro 2008 Portugal finished second in qualification behind Poland, and won their first two group games against Turkey and the Czech Republic, although a loss to co-hosts Switzerland set up a quarter-final matchup with Germany which the team lost 3–2. After the tournament, Scolari left to take over at Chelsea. Afterwards, Carlos Queiroz was appointed as the head coach of the Portugal national team.


title: Portugal national football team

text: Portugal came second in the qualifying stages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup under Carlos Queiroz, then beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in a play-off, thereby reaching every tournament in the decade. A 19-match undefeated streak, in which the team conceded only three goals, ended with a loss to eventual champions Spain in the round of 16, 1–0. Queiroz was later criticized for setting up his team in an overly cautious way. After the World Cup, squad regulars Simão, Paulo Ferreira, Miguel and Tiago all retired from international football. Queiroz was banned from coaching the national team for one month after he tried to block a doping test to the team while preparing for the World Cup, as well as directing insulting words to the testers. In consequence, he received a further six-month suspension. Several media outbursts from Queiroz against the heads of the Portuguese Football Federation followed, which partly prompted his dismissal. Paulo Bento was appointed as his replacement at head coach.