President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a number of personnel changes in the leadership of the Armed Forces, appointing new commanders of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) and Support Forces on May 9.
General Oleksandr Trepak has been appointed the new head of the SSO. His distinctive feature is openness and public activism, which makes him even a prototype for a feature film hero, unlike his predecessors.
General Trepak has accepted a position in the Special Operations Forces (SOF), replacing Serhiy Lupanchuk, who was appointed head of the SOF on November 3, 2023.
The personnel decision caused a scandal in Ukraine because the previous commander of the Special Operations Forces, Viktor Khorenko, claimed that procedures had been violated. Khorenko said he learned about the appointment through the media, bypassing the then-Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Zaluzhny, whom he considered his immediate superior.
The President's Office claimed that all actions were in accordance with the procedure, and that the appointment was made after receiving a corresponding submission from Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Lupanchuk refrained from public statements and interviews, unlike Khorenko. The results of his activities during his six months in office remained unknown.
The new commander of the SSO, Oleksandr Trepak (call sign “Redut”), is a well-known public figure. He has served in the SSO for over 15 years and is known for his participation in various operations, including the defense of Donetsk airport. His story served as the basis for the film “Cyborgs”, where the main character was based on Trepak.
The President appointed General Dmytro Gerega as Commander of the Support Forces, although he was dismissed from this position only two months ago.
After Gerega was dismissed, Oleksandr Yakovets, the former chief of the engineering troops, became commander. However, now the president has changed his mind and reinstated Gerega.
Gerega dedicated his entire career in the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the engineering and logistics forces. In 2007–2008, he served as commander of the 12th Engineering Regiment of the Operational Command “North” and then headed the Support Forces Directorate of the Command “North”.
Since 2014, Gerega has participated in combat operations in the ATO and was engaged in the construction of fortifications. He headed the Support Forces Command in August 2021.
The support forces were created in Ukraine only at the beginning of 2020 and are responsible for engineering troops, electronic warfare, radiation, chemical and biological protection troops, and the military topographic service.
