Ruslan Khomchak

Ruslan Borysovych Khomchak (Ukrainian: Русла́н Бори́сович Хомча́к) is Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, until 28 March 2020 also holding the post of Chief of the General Staff.[3]

Ruslan Khomchak
Birth nameRuslan Borysovych Khomchak
Born (1967-06-05) June 5, 1967
Lviv[1] or Rivne, Ukrainian SSR, USSR[2]
Allegiance Soviet Union
 Ukraine
Service/branch Ukrainian Ground Forces
Years of service1988–present
Rank Lieutenant general
Commands heldCommander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Chief of the General Staff
Commander,Ukrainian Ground Forces
92nd Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine)

Previously from 21 May 2019, he combined this post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the post of Chief of the General Staff.[4] On 28 March 2020, a decree by President Volodymyr Zelensky divided the posts of Commander in Chief and Chief of General Staff.[3] On this day Zelensky dismissed Khomchak from the post of Chief of General Staff and appointed him Chief Commander of Armed Forces while simultaneously he appointed Serhiy Korniychuk Chief of the General Staff.[3]

Biography
Lt.Gen Khomchak in 2018.

Khomchak was born in Lviv on 5 June 1967.[1] He graduated from the Moscow Higher Military Command School in 1988.[1] Khomchak then served in East Germany and in the Belarusian SSR between 1988 and 1992.[1]

Following Ukrainian independence in 1991 Khomchak became a military commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From 1993 to 2000 Khomchak served in the 24th Mechanized Brigade.[1] He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general since 2013,[5] participant in the war in Donbas. During the decisively lost by Ukrainian forces Battle of Ilovaisk Khomchak was sectoral commander.[6]

On 21 May 2019, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Ruslan Khomchak Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[4] On 28 March 2020 a decree by President Zelensky divided the posts of Commander in Chief and Chief of General Staff.[3] On this day Zelensky dismissed Khomchak from the post of Chief of General Staff and appointed him Chief Commander of Armed Forces while simultaneously he appointed Serhiy Korniychuk Chief of the General Staff.[3]

On 10 September 2020, Khomchak tested positive for COVID-19.[7]

Family

Ruslan's wife, Anna Kovalenko, is a civic activist, journalist, active Euromaidan participant, former adviser to the three Ministers of Defense of Ukraine and a Minister of Information Policy of Ukraine. She is the Head of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration since October 13, 2020.[8]

References
  1. (in Ukrainian) Politics Dossier of Ruslan Khomchak by RBC Ukraine
    (in Ukrainian) Biography of Ruslan Khomchak at the website of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
  2. Ruslan Khomchak. Liga.net
  3. Zelensky appoints Khomchak Chief Commander of Armed Forces, Korniychuk Chief of General Staff, Interfax-Ukraine (28 March 2020)
  4. "President Zelensky appoints new chief of Ukrainian army's general staff". UNIAN. 21 May 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2015-03-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. Howard Amos in Moscow and Roland Oliphant in Mariupol (31 August 2014). "Vladimir Putin demands negotiations over 'statehood' for eastern Ukraine". The Daily Telegraph.
  7. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-ukraine-army-idUSKBN261215
  8. Цензор.НЕТ. "Нова глава Чернігівської ОДА Коваленко - дружина Головнокомандувача ЗСУ Хомчака (оновлено)". Цензор.НЕТ (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2021-01-20.
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