Is NATO ready to fight? The Ukraine war is raising doubts among military analysts

Major General Viktor Nikoliuk resigned as commander of Ukraine's Eastern Operational Command on September 17, 2023, as part of a military reshuffle orchestrated by newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. In a Facebook post, Nikoliuk stated that he was handing over to his successor a fully combat-ready force capable of conducting active defensive operations.

Nikoliuk had been leading the Eastern Operational Command, responsible for defending key regions along Ukraine's front lines, including units in Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv oblasts, since April 2026. Prior to his current role, he had commanded the Donetsk Operational-Strategic Group. During his tenure, Nikoliuk led troops in several sectors, including Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Kostiantynivka, Ocheretyne, and Pokrovsk, where he prevented the enemy from capturing Kostiantynivka and established a robust defense in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

The Ukrainian military news outlet Hromadske reported that the Eastern Operational Command itself would be disbanded under Drapatyi's reorganization, with command of the eastern sector transferred to the newly formed Azov and Center force groupings, led by Brigadier Generals Andrii Biletskyi and Denys Prokopenko respectively. These new formations were tasked with strengthening Ukrainian positions in Donetsk Oblast.

The Eastern Front has seen the most intense battles, as Russia focuses its main offensive effort on cities within the so-called "fortress belt."