President Volodymyr Zelenskyi made a number of personnel changes in the leadership of the Armed Forces, appointing new commanders of the Special Operations Forces (SSO) and Support Forces on May 9.
General Oleksandr Trepak was appointed the new head of the SSO. His distinctive feature is openness and public activity, which makes him even a prototype of the hero of a feature film, unlike his predecessors.
General Trepak accepted a position in the Special Operations Forces (SSO), replacing Serhii Lupanchuk, who was appointed as the head of the SSO 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 noted that 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 Office of the President claimed that all actions were in accordance with the procedure and that the appointment was made after receiving a corresponding submission from the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov.
Unlike Horenko, Lupanchuk refrained from public statements and interviews. The results of his activities for 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 more than 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 Trepak was the prototype of the main character.
The President appointed General Dmytro Gerega as the commander of the Support Forces, although he was dismissed from this position only two months ago.
After Gerega's release, Oleksandr Yakovets, the former chief of engineering troops, became the commander. However, the president has now changed his decision and reinstated Gerega.
Gerega devoted his entire career in the Armed Forces to engineering forces and logistics forces. In 2007-2008, he held the post of commander of the 12th Engineer Regiment of the operational command "North" and then headed the support forces of the "North" command.
Since 2014, Gerega took part in military operations in the anti-terrorist operation and was engaged in the arrangement of fortifications. He assumed command of the Support Force in August 2021.
The support forces were created in Ukraine only at the beginning of 2020 and are responsible for engineering forces, radio-electronic warfare, radiation, chemical and biological protection forces and the military topographic service.
