Zelensky formally appoints Kovalenko as commander of Ukraine's Communications and Cyber Security Forces
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree №931/2026 on 15 September appointing Brigadier General Oleksiy Kovalenko as commander of the Communications and Cyber Security Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decree formalizes a role Kovalenko had held in an acting capacity since 2023.
Key points
- Decree №931/2026 dated 15 September appoints Oleksiy Kovalenko as commander of the Communications and Cyber Security Forces.
- The decree was published on the website of the Office of the President.
- Kovalenko holds the rank of brigadier general.
- He had been acting commander of the branch since 2023, so the decree makes the arrangement permanent.
- Kovalenko also heads the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Informatization named after Heroes of Krut.
- In August 2026, Zelensky signed a decree establishing the Day of the Communications and Cybersecurity Forces on 8 August annually, replacing the 2000 decree on the Day of Communications Troops.
- Zelensky separately appointed National Security and Defense Council Secretary Ihor Klymenko as head of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity.
Why it matters
The appointment converts a three-year acting arrangement into permanent command of a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that is responsible both for battlefield communications and for operating the national cybersecurity system. Kovalenko's parallel role heading the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Informatization ties operational command to training of communications and cyber personnel.
What happened
On 15 September 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed decree №931/2026 appointing Brigadier General Oleksiy Kovalenko as commander of the Communications and Cyber Security Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decree was published on the website of the Office of the President. Kovalenko had been serving as acting commander of the branch since 2023, and the new decree makes that role permanent. The Communications and Cyber Security Forces are a separate branch of the Armed Forces, with units represented across all branches and arms of the military, responsible for planning, deploying and operating communications, information, command-and-control and alert systems, as well as for the national cybersecurity system, cyber defense and countering threats in cyberspace. Kovalenko also heads the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Informatization named after Heroes of Krut, linking operational command with training. In August 2026, Zelensky signed a separate decree establishing the Day of the Communications and Cybersecurity Forces on 8 August annually, replacing a 2000 decree on the Day of Communications Troops, and earlier appointed National Security and Defense Council Secretary Ihor Klymenko as head of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The six supplied Ukrainian-language sources — Ukrinform, Interfax-Ukraine, Novynarnia, Liga.net/LB.ua, ZN.UA and Babel — uniformly frame the story as a formal presidential appointment, naming Kovalenko, his rank and the decree number, and several highlight the transition from acting to permanent commander. Ukrainian outlets also note that Kovalenko had been acting commander since 2023, and one foregrounds his parallel leadership of the Military Institute of Telecommunications and Informatization.
Background
The Communications and Cyber Security Forces are a separate branch of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with units represented across all branches and arms of the military. Their responsibilities cover planning, deploying and operating communications, information, command-and-control and alert systems, as well as operating the national cybersecurity system, cyber defense and countering threats in cyberspace. In August 2026, Zelensky signed a decree establishing the branch's annual professional day on 8 August, replacing a 2000 decree on the Day of Communications Troops. Separately, Zelensky appointed National Security and Defense Council Secretary Ihor Klymenko as head of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity.