President Zelenskyy Made Personnel Changes in the Ukrainian Armed Forces Command: Changes in the Leadership of Air Assault and Unmanned Systems
On June 3, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially signed decrees to change the leadership of two key units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, indicating an active reform process and a reorganization of the command hierarchy in the context of modern warfare. According to information obtained from the president’s official video address and the published decrees, the new commanders of the Air Assault Forces (Vozdushno-Desantny Sily) and the Unmanned Systems Forces are Oleg Apostol and Roberta Brovdi, respectively. Official sources confirm that these appointments are part of a strategic move focused on enhancing combat capabilities and increasing the efficiency of military structures. Zelenskyy emphasized that the new leadership team should “concentrate on combat issues,” with scaling up the experience of the best combat brigades as a key objective. This step reflects the government’s intention to respond more effectively to the challenges of modern warfare and to strengthen the country’s defense potential. According to sources, Vadym Sukharevskyi, who previously led the Unmanned Systems Forces, has been appointed Deputy Commander of the Eastern Operational Command. His new task is to modernize this unit, which has gained significant importance amidst active combat operations and the information war. Regarding the former leader of the Air Assault Forces, Ihor Skibyuk, his transfer to the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff is also driven by the desire to ensure more cohesive and effective command, taking into account combat experience and trends in the development of the country’s overall defense strategy. In addition to these appointment details, it is noteworthy to mention Vadym Sukharevskyi’s interview, in which he expressed his position on the future during his farewell statement as commander of the unmanned systems forces. He noted that he is proud to have led this new and complex structure during its initial, most challenging stage of formation. Sukharevskyi assured that he leaves his position with deep confidence in the potential of his colleagues and emphasized that his vision for the further development of unmanned systems diverges from the leadership’s. According to him, an honest and professional decision was to conclude his term, which also demonstrates his respect for the team and conviction in the correctness of the chosen course. Overall, personnel changes in the senior command of the Ukrainian army serve as a signal of the authorities’ intention to strengthen mobilization and operational potential, to better utilize modern technologies—particularly in the field of drones and unmanned systems—and to integrate these more deeply into the national defense system. This gives grounds to hope that Ukraine will continue to strengthen its positions on the battlefield, and that the transformation of command structures will promote more coordinated and technologically advanced training of military forces in the new realities of modern warfare.