Zelenskyy appoints Kryvonozhko Air Forces Commander: what is known about him

On August 3, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko as the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which have been without a permanent leader for more than a year.

"I appointed Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko as the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces. And most importantly, so that Ukrainian combat aviation and air defense forces continue to develop comprehensively and in effective interaction: the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the General Staff, the Ministry of Defense, our partners and experts who wish Ukraine strength and victory," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.

Prior to this, Kryvonozhko served as the Commander of the Air Forces. Since 2015, he has headed the Center Air Command, which is responsible for the air defense of Kyiv, the Chornobyl NPP, and strategically important regions of central and northern Ukraine.

Anatolii Kryvonozhko was born on July 23, 1965. In 2006–2008, he commanded the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade, later becoming Deputy Commander of the Air Forces. He participated in hostilities from the beginning of the russian aggression - from the ATO and JFO to the full-scale invasion in 2022.

In September 2023, he received the title of Hero of Ukraine and the "Gold Star" for skillful command, thanks to which more than 1,160 air targets, more than 100 ground targets and one surface target were destroyed in the "Center" area of responsibility.

"The difficulty was that the war began on all positions simultaneously, and also with a huge number of strikes from various types of weapons. Anti-aircraft missile troops and aviation were constantly maneuvering, thanks to which the air defense system survived," Kryvonozhko recalled.

Recall that on August 30, 2024, Zelenskyy by decree dismissed the Commander of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykola Oleshchuk, who had headed this position since August 2021. This happened after an F-16 fighter jet was lost on August 26, the day of a massive missile attack on Ukraine. The pilot of the plane was killed.

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