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Ukraine’s Western Operational Command introduces new commander

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Ukraine’s Western Operational Command introduces new commander
General Volodymyr Shvediuk, the new commander of the Ukrainian military’s Western Operational Command. (Western Operational Command/Facebook)

General Volodymyr Shvediuk has been appointed as the new commander of the Ukrainian military’s Western Operational Command, the command reported on April 15.

The Western Operational Command is an operational unit of Ukraine’s Ground Forces responsible for eight western regions — Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi.

"I aspire to make our command a model of military excellence and tactical prowess. Together, we will strengthen our defense capabilities and demonstrate an unwavering commitment to the defense of our country," Shvediuk said after his appointment, as cited by the command’s press service.

Since March 2022, Shvediuk has served as the commander of the headquarters of one of the troop groups in Ukraine’s east. He previously was a deputy commander of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces.

Shvediuk took part in Ukraine’s Anti-Terrorist Operation against Russian-backed militants in the country’s east. From 2018 to 2019, he was the commander of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade.

General Serhii Litvinov served as the previous commander of the Western Operational Command since 2021.

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Dinara Khalilova

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Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.

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