Colonel Oleksandr Dmukhovskyi named commander of Ukraine's "small" air defence forces
Ukraine's Air Force has appointed Colonel Oleksandr Dmukhovskyi to head its "small" air defence command, the service's spokesperson said on 5 September. The appointment comes as Russia has sharply scaled up its use of jet-powered attack drones, rising from roughly 350 in June to over 2,800 in August.
Key points
- Colonel Oleksandr Dmukhovskyi appointed commander of "small" air defence forces
- Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat announced the appointment on 5 September in comments to Ukrainska Pravda
- Air Force Deputy Commander Yurii Cherevashenko will oversee overall development of the "small" air defence direction
- President Zelenskyy announced the dedicated command within the Air Force in January 2026
- Dmukhovskyi's predecessor in the role, Colonel Yevhenii Khliebnikov, was dismissed in early September
- Russian jet-powered drone launches rose from about 350 in June to roughly 1,500 in July and over 2,800 in August
Why it matters
Dmukhovskyi is the first named commander of the dedicated "small" air defence command that President Zelenskyy announced in January, formalising a structure built to counter Russia's rapidly growing fleet of jet-powered attack drones. The appointment caps a turbulent summer for the directorate, with both the previous lead and his deputy departing, and signals Kyiv's intent to scale up counter-drone defence as monthly drone launches have multiplied roughly eightfold since June.
What happened
On 5 September, Air Force spokesperson Colonel Yurii Ihnat announced that Colonel Oleksandr Dmukhovskyi has been appointed commander of Ukraine's "small" air defence forces — the branch responsible for direct, low-altitude air defence and counter-drone protection. Ihnat confirmed the appointment in comments to Ukrainska Pravda. The overall direction of the "small" air defence directorate within the Air Force will be coordinated by Air Force Deputy Commander Yurii Cherevashenko. Ihnat noted that fighter aircraft, short- and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems, and electronic warfare systems are all being used to counter Russia's jet-powered drones, and that the "small" air defence direction has become increasingly important as Russia has scaled up its use of such drones.
Background
In January 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the creation of a dedicated command within Ukraine's Air Force focused exclusively on developing "small" air defence, the service responsible for direct low-altitude air protection and counter-drone operations. Until then, the directorate had been led by Colonel Yevhenii Khliebnikov under Deputy Air Force Commander Pavlo Lazar Yelizarov. Yelizarov submitted a resignation report on 16 July in connection with Mykhailo Fedorov's departure as defence minister. On 4 September, Fedorov's former adviser Serhii Sternenko reported that Air Force Commander Anatolii Kryvonozhko had dismissed Khliebnikov. Russian jet-powered drone launches against Ukraine have grown sharply: roughly 350 in June, about 1,500 in July, and over 2,800 in August, according to reported figures.