Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky approved Pavlo Yelizarov, known by the call sign Lazar, as a deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Forces on January 19.
- Yelizarov will be responsible for developing the Air Forces’ small air-defense component focused on countering drones and other low-altitude threats.
- Zelensky announced a shift toward mobile fire groups, interceptor drones and other decentralized systems, with the current setup slated for transformation.
- Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Yelizarov’s unit has proven effective in modern warfare and described this move as the first step toward a national anti-drone shield.
- Fedorov cited escalating Russian drone attacks, including widespread use of Shahed systems, and signaled further personnel changes to strengthen Ukraine’s air protection.