Commander of OTU Donetsk was dismissed

The Ukrainian military leadership has dismissed the commander of the Operational Tactical Group Donetsk, which was responsible for the frontline spanning from Velyka Novosilka to Novobakhmutivka near Toretsk.

The Ukrainian grouping of troops under the command of Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Lutsenko faced criticism for failing to defend Avdiivka, establish deep defensive positions behind the city, and halt the Russian advance toward Pokrovsk, where the enemy is now at the gates. The leadership of OTU Donetsk has been under heavy scrutiny since the fall of Avdiivka, but earlier complaints went unaddressed. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi personally visited the command post to relieve Lutsenko of his duties. Lutsenko has reportedly been reassigned to another role within the Ground Forces.

According to an article published on FT.com, Brig. Gen. Oleksandr Tarnavsky has replaced Lutsenko as commander. Tarnavsky previously led the Operational Strategic Group Tavria, overseeing the area where Ukrainian forces launched their main offensive toward Melitopol during the summer of 2023 and was one of the key commanders of the offensive. He was dismissed from his position in July 2024. Notably, in 2015, Tarnavsky ran for the Kryvyi Rih City Council as a member of the pro-Russian political party Nash Krai.