New Commander for the Eastern Front
Major General Viktor Nikolyuk has been appointed as the new commander of the 'East' Operational Command. He succeeds Brigadier General Dmytro Bratishko in this critical role. Nikolyuk was born on October 19, 1975, in the village of Shyshkyne, Kirovohrad Oblast. He graduated from the Kharkiv Guards Higher Tank Command School in 1996 and later from the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine in 2007.
Military Career and Experience
Throughout his military service, Nikolyuk has commanded a wide range of units, including:
- A reconnaissance company;
- A tank battalion;
- A mechanized regiment at the 'Desna' training center.
He has also served as chief of staff for the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade and as commander of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade. In March 2017, he was appointed head of the 169th Training Center, and on December 5, 2018, he was promoted to the rank of Major General.
From October 2021 to March 2023, Nikolyuk served as acting commander of the 'North' Operational Command. He was stationed in the city of Konotop when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, and from the first days, he commanded Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Chernihiv region. This appointment places a seasoned commander with direct combat experience against the Russian invasion in charge of a key strategic sector. In March 2023, he was appointed commander of the Land Forces Training Command, a position he relinquished on March 24, 2024.
Subsequently, from June 2025, he led the 'Donetsk' Operational-Tactical Group, having previously worked as its chief of staff. Following the Ukrainian Armed Forces' transition to a corps structure in late 2025, Nikolyuk became commander of the 20th Army Corps. In March 2022, the President of Ukraine awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine.
General Nikolyuk's assignment to lead the 'East' Operational Command represents a significant strategic move amid Ukraine's ongoing defense against Russian aggression.
His extensive frontline command experience during the invasion and in other key roles provides him with the necessary skills for this new responsibility. This appointment also reflects the continued reform and optimization of command structures within the Ukrainian Armed Forces to meet contemporary battlefield challenges.