Deputy Commander of the Air Force Yelizarov has submitted his resignation
Pavlo Yelizarov has reported this on Facebook.
Elizarov recalled that he joined the Defence Forces following the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
“I joined the Defence Forces in 2022 to win, not to go through the motions,” he wrote.
The officer did not specify what exactly prompted him to submit his report or whether he had any disagreements with the command. Nor did he explain whether he was requesting to be relieved only of his post as Deputy Commander of the Air Force, or whether he was seeking to end his military service altogether.
At the same time, Yelizarov emphasised that he continues to believe in Ukraine’s future.
Has Yelizarov been dismissed from his post?
Submitting a report does not yet mean that Yelizarov has been dismissed. For this to happen, the command must review the document and take the appropriate personnel decision.
At the time of the statement’s release, the Air Force, the General Staff and the Ministry of Defence had not officially announced Yelizarov’s dismissal or the appointment of another military officer to replace him.
It is also unknown exactly when he submitted his report and whether the document has already been approved.
What Yelizarov’s role was in the Air Force
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the appointment of Pavlo Yelizarov as Deputy Commander of the Air Force on 19 January 2026.
Yelizarov was to be responsible for developing a new direction in air defence, in particular mobile fire groups, interceptor drones and other means of so-called ‘light air defence’. His appointment took place during the restructuring of the system of defence against Russian air attacks, as announced by the President.
Before joining the Air Force, Yelizarov was known as the commander of the unmanned systems unit at Lasar’s Group. Following the outbreak of full-scale war, he served in the Territorial Defence Forces, the Special Operations Forces and the National Guard.
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