Commander of "East" Grouping of Forces, Major General Nikoliuk, leaves post (clarified)
Major General Viktor Nikoliuk, commander of the "East" Grouping of Forces, is leaving the post he has held for five months. He summed up his command of the grouping of forces across five sectors of the front.
He wrote about this on Facebook, according to Censor.NET.
Clarification. According to media reports, two new military command structures, the "Center" and "Azov" Groupings of Forces, headed by Brigadier Generals Andrii Biletskyi and Denys Prokopenko, respectively, have replaced the "East" Grouping of Forces. As a result, the "East" Grouping of Forces has ceased to exist.
Nikoliuk, who commanded both the permanent Operational Command "East" and the subordinate grouping of forces of the same name, remains commander of Operational Command "East".
Situation when he took command
According to Nikoliuk, the situation was very difficult in April, when he took command of this sector: the enemy was already conducting active offensive operations and infiltrating the gaps between Ukrainian positions. In response, work was organised on several fronts, with particular attention to expanding defensive obstacles and holding the lines occupied at the time.
Results of his command
Nikoliuk said that coordinated work with the corps and brigade commanders operating in the area had made it possible to hold back the offensive of Russian occupation forces in the Oleksandrivskyi direction. According to the general, Ukrainian troops successfully repelled enemy attacks involving both vehicles and infantry on foot.
Together, they prevented the enemy from taking Kostiantynivka, where Russian forces were contained. In the Sloviansk and Kramatorsk directions, they established a resilient defence in depth, reinforced units holding frontline positions and created conditions for the further destruction of enemy troops that had infiltrated Ukrainian lines.
"I can say with confidence that my successor has been handed a fully combat-ready grouping of forces capable of conducting sustained, active defensive operations," Nikoliuk said.
Nikoliuk thanked all corps and brigade commanders and unit personnel for their dedication, courage and fighting spirit. He also honoured the memory of those killed.
"A new path lies ahead, along with new challenges and tasks that the senior military leadership will set for me," he added.
Background
- Viktor Nikoliuk was appointed commander of Operational Command East in April 2026, replacing Brigadier General Dmytro Bratishko.
- Before that, Nikoliuk commanded the Donetsk Operational-Tactical Group of Forces.
