Ukraine’s Top Two ‘Mustang’ Generals Named to Hold Critical Donbas Sector
Zelensky has put battle-tested generals Denys Prokopenko and Andriy Biletsky in charge of new force groupings defending Donetsk. The move aims to strengthen command, integrate corps and drones, and halt Russia’s advance before winter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed two young generals to command critical forces defending the Donetsk region, the focal point of Russia's ongoing invasion. Brig. Gen. Denys Prokopenko, 35, a resident of Kyiv, gained fame for his leadership in protecting Mariupol in 2022 and for building the 1st National Guard Corps "Azov" into a formidable Ukrainian military unit.
Brig. Gen. Andriy Biletsky, 47, a native of Kharkiv, is a historian and martial arts aficionado who led a volunteer unit defending Kyiv during Russia's 2022 invasion. Both generals are younger than the generation of Soviet-trained officers that previously commanded the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). Zelensky, aiming to revitalize Ukrainian military leadership, relieved then-AFU Chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, 60, in favor of Maj.
Gen. Mykhailo Drapaty, 43. Both Prokopenko and Biletsky now lead their respective 1st and 3rd Army Corps, which have been instrumental in defending the Donetsk region. The 3rd Corps has held a 150-kilometer (93-mile) stretch between Lyman and Borova against Russian attacks, while the 1st Corps has recently recaptured lost ground in the Dobropillya sector.
The Ukrainian military has reorganized the defenses of the Donetsk region into two new force groupings, led by Prokopenko and Biletsky. These groupings aim to reinforce key positions before the onset of winter, which could render the battlefield more vulnerable due to lack of vegetation.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
