Direct proof of use
Ukrainian Fort-221 and Fort-224 rifles are Tavor-pattern weapons in the IWI Tavor/X95 family. In October 2014, ZBROYA.info reported comments by Colonel Vitaly Otamaniuk, head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces central rocket-artillery management board, saying Ukraine would procure about 500 Fort-221 and Fort-224 assault rifles for special-operations troops, with later issue planned for airmobile and reconnaissance units.
Ukrainian Military Pages later summarized the Ukrainian service record: the Fort-221 and Fort-224 were accepted and procured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in 2014, with 493 units purchased according to Ukraine's 2014 White Book, and Fort rifles went to the 1st Operational Brigade and other National Guard units. A December 2014 SPARTANAT report identified a Ukrainian special unit in eastern Ukraine using the Fort-221, Fort's licensed version of the Tavor.
The full-scale-invasion phase adds field evidence rather than a new procurement claim. The Armourers Bench documented Fort-221 and Fort-224 rifles appearing after Russia's February 2022 invasion with internal-security forces, Ukrainian Army special forces, and National Guard special forces; it also described videos from a reportedly captured Ukrainian National Guard depot and a March 9, 2022 seizure near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant that showed Fort-221 rifles.
Sources: ZBROYA.info Fort-221 and Fort-224 procurement, Ukrainian Military Pages Fort-221, Fort 221 of Ukraine, Ukrainian Tavors - Fort-221 / Fort-224
Timeline
The documented conflict-use timeline begins in 2014. ZBROYA.info reported the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence procurement plan on October 5, 2014, while Ukrainian Military Pages records 2014 acceptance, procurement, and National Guard receipt of Fort rifles. SPARTANAT then placed a Fort-221 with a Ukrainian special unit in eastern Ukraine on December 15, 2014.
After February 2022, The Armourers Bench described Fort-22-series rifles most frequently appearing with internal-security forces and Ukrainian Army and National Guard special forces. Its article identifies several dated full-scale-war sightings: a reportedly captured National Guard depot within 48 hours of the invasion, Oleksandr Turchynov carrying a Fort-221 while rallying Territorial Defence Force units in Kyiv on March 7, and Russian state media showing at least one Fort-221 after the March 9 seizure of a National Guard armoury near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant.
Sources: ZBROYA.info Fort-221 and Fort-224 procurement, Ukrainian Military Pages Fort-221, Fort 221 of Ukraine, Ukrainian Tavors - Fort-221 / Fort-224
Narrative
In this conflict, the Tavor/X95 family is best documented through Ukraine's Fort-22-series rifles, not through Israeli military use. Forgotten Weapons describes RPC Fort's catalog designations as Fort-221 for the Tavor TAR and Fort-224 for the Tavor X95, with small numbers associated with special forces, the Presidential Guard, and the Ukrainian National Guard under the Ministry of Interior structure.
The strongest pre-2022 record is Ukrainian state adoption and limited issue: Ukrainian Military Pages says the Armed Forces bought 493 Fort-221 and Fort-224 rifles in 2014, while ZBROYA.info reported the Ministry of Defence's plan to send the first order primarily to special-operations units. SPARTANAT's eastern-Ukraine item supports field appearance during the Donbas phase, but does not identify a broader distribution pattern.
The strongest post-2022 record is visual and unit-context reporting. The Armourers Bench reports Fort-22-series rifles with internal-security, Ukrainian Army special-forces, and National Guard special-forces users, while noting that later imagery does not always establish exact units, locations, or chambering. The sources support Ukrainian use and capture/depot evidence, but not large-scale issue across the whole Ukrainian military or use by Russia as an issued weapon.
Sources: Fort 221: The Ukrainian Tavor TAR, Ukrainian Military Pages Fort-221, ZBROYA.info Fort-221 and Fort-224 procurement, Fort 221 of Ukraine, Ukrainian Tavors - Fort-221 / Fort-224
