Zelensky has replaced the Commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
Sergei Lupanchuk was appointed the new commander of the Special Forces.
On 3November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Viktor Khorenko from the postof Commander of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces ofUkraine.
Thecorresponding decree No. 727 was published on the President'swebsite.
"Todismiss Viktor Oleksandrovych KHORENKO from the post of Commander of theSpecial Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the documentsays.
On the sameday, by Decree No.728, Zelenskyy appointed Colonel Lupanchuk Serhiy Konstantinovich as thenew commander of the Special Operations Forces. There is no information abouthim in open sources.
GeneralViktor Khorenko had been in charge of the SSO since 25 July 2022. The reasonsfor his dismissal were not reported in open sources.
The Special Operations Forces are a separate branch of the ArmedForces of Ukraine. Their structure includes special purpose units, informationand psychological special operations units, resistance movements and supportunits.
Themilitary units of the Special Forces perform tasks of increased complexity onland, water, and temporarily occupied territories. They can conduct sabotagebehind enemy lines and aerial reconnaissance.
The detailsof the operations of the Special Forces are not disclosed, and the personaldata of the soldiers are classified.
Since thebeginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, the Special Operations Forces havebeen commanded by Major General Hryhoriy Galagan. In July 2022, PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy transferred him to the SBU.
As areminder, on 1 November, TheEconomist published anarticle by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ValeriyZaluzhnyi, in which he noted that the war in Ukraine was entering a"positional" phase of static and exhausting combat. According to thegeneral, in the long run, this war will benefit Russia and allow it to restoreits military power.
Accordingto Zaluzhny, Russia will have an advantage in weapons, equipment, missiles andammunition for a long time. He named five key priorities for gaining anadvantage and a successful offensive on the battlefield and added that thearmed forces need the most modern types of western equipment in sufficientquantities.
ValeriyZaluzhny's article intensified the debate in the US Congress, and the WhiteHouse stated the importance of continuing to support Ukraine.
