Oleh Apostol named new commander of Ukraine's Air Assault Forces
Photo: Oleh Apostol (facebook.com/95ODSBr)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Oleh Apostol as the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces - here’s what is known about him.
Oleh Apostol was born on April 17, 1987, in Ivano-Frankivsk.
In 2008, he graduated from the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy with a specialization in combat management of airmobile units.
Since 2014, Apostol has participated in combat operations in eastern Ukraine. During the liberation of Mykolaivka in Donetsk region, he entered the town four times with his comrades, organizing assaults on the Russian fortifications. Throughout the operations, his unit repeatedly called fire on themselves to identify and destroy Russian positions. For his role in liberating Sloviansk and surrounding areas, Apostol was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, 3rd Class (July 5, 2014).
In 2018, he served as the commander of an Air Assault battalion within the 80th Air Assault Brigade.
Role during Russia's full-scale invasion
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion, Apostol actively participated in the defense of the Mykolaiv region, where Ukrainian forces destroyed and captured large amounts of Russian equipment. Since late 2022, units under his command have fought actively in Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk regions.
In February 2024, he led the 95th Air Assault Brigade. For personal bravery, heroism, and service to the Ukrainian people, Apostol was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine along with the Order of the Golden Star.
In August of that year, he joined Ukraine’s Defense Forces operating in Russia’s Kursk region.
On November 29, 2024, he was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On February 26, 2025, he was promoted to brigadier general.
On June 3, 2025, Apostol was appointed Commander of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces, replacing Major General Ihor Skybiuk.
Sources: Office of the President of Ukraine, Wikipedia.
