Major General Nikoliuk Leaves Operational Command East

Major General Viktor Nikoliuk announced that he is leaving his post as commander of Operational Command East, after five months of overseeing Ukrainian defenses on five major eastern frontline sectors.Nikoliuk, who took the role in April, said he had commanded forces operating in the Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Ocheretyne and Pokrovsk axes.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.However, he did not disclose the reason for leaving his post, identify his successor or specify his next assignment.“A new path lies ahead, along with new challenges and tasks to be determined for me by the senior military leadership,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday, Sept. 17.Defense across 5 sectorsNikoliuk said the battlefield situation was already difficult when he assumed command in April, with Russian forces conducting offensive operations and attempting to infiltrate the area between Ukrainian positions.Coordination with corps and brigade commanders operating in the area helped hold back Russian advances on the Oleksandrivka axis, including attacks conducted both on foot and with military equipment, he added.Working with his team, Nikoliuk also said Ukrainian defense forces had prevented Russian forces from seizing Kostiantynivka.He described defenses near Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as layered and reinforced, with measures designed to help Ukrainian defense forces identify and eliminate Russian troops that had infiltrated the area. Other Topics of Interest 3 Killed, 5 Injured in More Than 40 Russian Attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Region The strikes damaged private homes, vehicles and other civilian infrastructure, triggering fires. Nikoliuk’s previous postsAccording to Ukrainska Pravda, Nikoliuk was appointed to his post to replace ousted Brigadier General Dymtro Bratishko.He previously served as commander of the 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, the 169th Desna Training Center, and Operational Command North.In 2022, he was awarded the title of “Hero of Ukraine.”His announcement came as fighting continued across the Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka axes, which regularly rank among the most active sectors in the General Staff’s daily battlefield updates.On Tuesday, Sept. 15, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) reported 219 combat engagements with the heaviest fighting concentrated on the Pokrovsk axis.Russian forces reportedly launched 68 airstrikes, dropped 249 guided aerial bombs (KABs) and deployed 4,153 loitering munitions on Ukraine nationwide on that day. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.