Zelenskyy names new commander of Communications and Cybersecurity Forces
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree appointing Oleksii Kovalenko as commander of the Armed Forces' Communications and Cybersecurity Forces, weeks after establishing an annual day of observance for the branch.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed presidential decree No. 931/2026 appointing Oleksii Oleksandrovych Kovalenko as commander of the Communications and Cybersecurity Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The decree formally names Kovalenko to lead the branch, though the published document does not detail his prior military background or specific responsibilities in the new role.
Background
The appointment comes about a month after Zelenskyy signed a separate decree in August establishing an annual Day of the Communications and Cybersecurity Forces, to be marked each year on 8 August. That move superseded a decree dated 1 February 2000, which had governed the observance of a Communications Forces day for more than two decades.
The Communications and Cybersecurity Forces are a branch of Ukraine's Armed Forces responsible for maintaining military communication systems and cybersecurity — an area that has grown increasingly significant since the start of the full-scale war, as both sides rely heavily on electronic warfare and digital attacks.
