Photo: Viktor Nikoliuk/ Facebook
According to Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources within the Ukrainian Defence Forces, Major General Oleksandr Bratishko has been dismissed from his position as commander of Operational Command “East”.
He has reportedly been replaced by Major General Viktor Nikoliuk, who previously commanded the 20th Army Corps and is said to have performed effectively in that role.
Reported reason for dismissal
The sources claim that Bratishko’s removal is linked to the loss of Siversk in December 2025, an event that also reportedly led to the dismissal of the commander of the 11th Corps, Serhii Sirchenko.
Who Viktor Nikoliuk is
Viktor Nikoliuk was born in October 1975 in the Kirovohrad region. He graduated from the Kharkiv Guards Higher Tank Command School and the National Defence University of Ukraine.
His military career includes several key commands:
- Commander of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade
- Head of the 169th training center “Desna”
- Commander of Operational Command “North”, where he played a major role in the defense of Chernihiv during the full-scale invasion
- Commander of the Command for Training of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
- In 2025, commander of the Operational-Tactical Group “Donetsk”, replacing Major General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi
- Later appointed commander of the 20th Army Corps
Nikoliuk was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine in 2022 for his role in defending the country during the Russian invasion.
