Zelenskiy assigns top commanders to bolster defence of Donetsk strongholds

In a front-line visit, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy named Andrii Biletskyi, head of the Third Army Corps, and Denys Prokopenko, commander of the First Corps Azov, to lead new groupings defending Ukraine’s eastern strongholds. The appointments are intended to give chief commander Mykhailo Drapatyi broader strategic latitude after criticism of his predecessor’s micromanagement. Both officers have fought since the 2014 invasion and command some of the country’s most capable units, noted for NATO-style tactics and advanced technology.

Analysts say the reshuffle aims to improve coordination as Russian troops advance toward the industrial cities of Donetsk, Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Open-source mapping group Deep State reports intensified Russian infiltration and artillery strikes near those towns. Drone commander Robert Brovdi hailed the decision as a step toward “network-centric warfare.”