Zelensky appoints 4 new high-level military commanders
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President Volodymyr Zelensky announced four high-level military appointments on his website on Feb. 11, including the commanders of the Ground Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, the Combined Forces, and the Airborne Assault Forces.
The new commander of the Ground Forces is Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, who has served as deputy defense minister since February 2023. He was the head of the Kyiv Oblast Military Administration in the spring of 2022.
Pavliuk is replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was appointed commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces earlier on Feb. 8.
The new commander of the Territorial Defense forces is Major General Ihor Plahuta, who formerly commanded the Separate Presidential Brigade and headed up the southern command of the National Guard out of Odesa.
The new commander of the Airborne Assault Forces is Brigadier General Ihor Skibiuk, who had previously served as the deputy for this post and commanded the 80th Air Assault Brigade.
Read also: Who is General Syrskyi, Ukraine’s new chief commander?
The Combined Forces will be headed by Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol, former head of Ukraine’s marine corps since 2018.
Zelensky dismissed former Airborne Assault Commander Maksym Myrhorodskyi and former Combined Forces Commander Serhii Naiev.
The appointments are part of Zelensky's long-awaited reshuffle of Ukraine’s military command, which included the dismissal of Ukraine’s top military commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
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