Oleh Ivashchenko

Force in Play

Serving as GUR chief since January 2026

On April 20, Ukraine struck two large Russian Navy landing ships — the Yamal and the Nikolai Filchenkov — in Sevastopol Bay, disabling an estimated $150 million in naval assets and destroying a Podlet-K1 radar station. The same night, drones hit the Tuapse oil refinery in Krasnodar for the second time in a week, igniting tank farm fires at one of Russia's ten largest refineries. These were the latest in a sustained campaign that has forced Russia's Black Sea Fleet to abandon its historic base in Crimea and retreat to Novorossiysk, where it is still being hit.

Updated May 31

Force in Play

Appointed January 2, 2026 to replace Budanov as HUR chief

Russia continues massive winter strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians amid advancing trilateral peace talks. A week after the February 4-5 Abu Dhabi round yielded a 314-POW exchange and US-Russia military dialogue, Russia launched major attacks including 408 drones/39 missiles on February 6-7 targeting energy substations and the February 13 assault with 219 drones/24 missiles killing one in Odesa. Zelenskyy accused Russia of bad faith while confirming a third round of talks for next week.

Updated May 19