Hero of 2022 battles will now command defense of five oblasts on Ukraine’s Eastern Front

The Eastern Front in Ukraine gets a new commander. A leadership change has taken place in Operational Command “East", with Major General Victor Nikoliuk appointed to lead the units, Ukraine's General Staff reports.

Nikoliuk has significant combat experience. He previously commanded the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 169th Training Center, and Operational Command “North".

At the start of the full-scale war, he led the defense of the Chernihiv Oblast, for which he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine in March 2022.

The region is the only Ukrainian territory that borders both Russia and Belarus.

Rotations after loss of Siversk

At the same time, according to sources in Ukrainska Pravda, the previous commander, Brigadier General Dmytro Bratishko, was dismissed following the loss of Siversk in December 2025. Similar decisions have been made before regarding other commanders, including after changes in the 11th Corps.

Siversk, a city with a pre-invasion population of fewer than 11,000 people, was a center of Russian offensive operations since mid-2022.

Russian forces seized Siversk by taking advantage of difficult weather conditions — dense fog observed in Donetsk Oblast in November and December 2025.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces spent 41 months advancing only 12 kilometers from Lysychansk to the western boundary of Siversk.

The General Staff reported that Russian troops advanced due to significant numerical superiority and continuous pressure from small assault groups operating under adverse weather conditions.

The new commander was introduced to personnel by Hennadii Shapovalov. During the meeting, he reviewed the operational situation and outlined key priorities: effective execution of combat missions, strengthening combat readiness, and improving troop training.

New command configuration on axis

Changes have also taken place at the corps level. Colonel Sviatoslav Zaiets has been appointed commander of the 20th Army Corps.

He has already assumed his duties within the corps’ area of responsibility, which covers a sector of the front in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.