Mykhailo Fedorov announces appointment of Yevhenii Khlebnikov to lead lower-tier air defense

Colonel Yevhenii Khlebnikov has assumed command of lower-tier air defense within the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“We are continuing to transform the lower-tier air defense system and to respond swiftly to challenges in protecting Ukraine’s skies,” said Minister of Defence of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.

He added that russia attacks Ukrainian cities every day with hundreds of drones. More than 6,000 unmanned aerial vehicles were launched in the past month alone. Strikes on residential buildings, critical infrastructure, and trains demonstrate that terror against civilians continues unabated. The enemy is continuously improving drone modifications and attack tactics to achieve its objectives. New risks emerge every day, including UAVs equipped with Starlink.

“By responding proactively to all emerging challenges, we must build a system capable of analyzing, countering, and forecasting future threats. This requires an effective lower-tier air defense system and interceptors. Acting on the President’s instructions, we are changing our approach to protecting the sky in order to increase the effectiveness of countering enemy attacks,” said Mykhailo Fedorov.

The Minister of Defence noted the recent appointment of Colonel Pavlo “Lazar” Yelizarov, one of the most effective commanders, as Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Under his leadership, the lower-tier air defense command is being formed, with this direction headed by Colonel Yevhenii Khlebnikov. His key task is to build a system capable of rapidly countering challenges to protect the sky.

Yevhenii Khlebnikov is an officer with both combat and command experience. He served in units of the surface-to-air missile forces of the Air Force and worked at the General Staff on air defense development.

From the first days of the full-scale war, he directed Bayraktar UAV operations in the defense of Kyiv and the Chernihiv Oblast and participated in planning the liberation of Zmiinyi Island (Snake Island). In 2014–2015, he was a participant in the battles for Donetsk Airport.

As the Minister of Defence emphasized, command and control will be strengthened in every region in the near future, and the formation of a strong team to develop lower-tier air defense will continue.

“These are the first decisions of the renewed Ministry of Defence team aimed at building an effective system to protect Ukraine’s skies. However, many further steps lie ahead to achieve results and improve interception effectiveness,” Mykhailo Fedorov concluded.