Former 80th Brigade commander Colonel Emil Ishkulov reportedly set to lead corps defending Sloviansk, Kramatorsk

Colonel Emil Ishkulov, the former commander of Ukraine's 80th Air Assault Brigade, is expected to be appointed commander of the 11th Army Corps, which is responsible for defending the Sloviansk and Kramatorsk sectors in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Aug. 15.

The Ukrainian outlet cited three unnamed sources in Ukraine's defense forces, including senior military officials. The appointment has not yet been officially announced.

Ishkulov currently serves as deputy commander of the 7th Rapid Response Corps of Ukraine's Air Assault Forces. He is expected to replace Brigadier General Oleksii Maistrenko, who has commanded the 11th Army Corps for around six months, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

The reason for Maistrenko's reported replacement is not officially known. Sources within the 11th Corps told Ukrainska Pravda that his management approach "did not correspond to the modern realities of decision-making."

The corps is responsible for the Sloviansk and Kramatorsk sectors, which form the northern part of Ukraine's "fortress belt" — a chain of cities anchoring its defenses in Donetsk Oblast. A senior military source told Ukrainska Pravda that Ishkulov's appointment would "significantly strengthen" the two sectors.

If appointed, Ishkulov would be expected to coordinate closely with the neighboring 3rd Army Corps, commanded by Andrii Biletskyi, whose forces operate around Lyman in Donetsk Oblast and Borova in Kharkiv Oblast.

Ishkulov previously commanded the 80th Separate Galician Air Assault Brigade. In July 2024, the brigade's officers publicly opposed his removal after reports that he had rejected an order that exceeded the unit's capabilities.

Ishkulov refused to lead the brigade into Russia ahead of the Kursk operation, putting him at odds with then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Soldiers who served under Ishkulov have described him as a demanding commander who planned operations carefully and prioritized the lives of his personnel.

The prospective appointment is seen as an attempt by newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi to restore Ishkulov to a major operational command.

The reported leadership change comes as Drapatyi oversees a broader review of personnel management across Ukraine's military.  On July 29, the General Staff announced an inspection into the "fair distribution of personnel" across the Armed Forces.

The review is intended to establish the actual staffing levels of brigades, regiments, and corps, evaluate how effectively personnel are distributed among units, and identify ways to improve military personnel management, the General Staff said.