New Commanders Appointed to 33rd and 156th Brigades

Colonel Dmytro Palisa, the brother of former 93rd Mechanized Brigade commander Pavlo Palisa, has been appointed as the new commander of the 33rd Mechanized Brigade, succeeding Colonel Yuriy Hupalyuk, who had led the unit since August 2024.

Dmytro Palisa graduated from the Academy of Ground Forces in 2014 and initially served in rear positions. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he played a key role in forming the 71st Jaeger Brigade and later commanded the 4th Special Purpose Detachment. In 2024, he was appointed deputy commander of the 30th Mechanized Brigade.

Colonel Yuriy Hupalyuk has taken command of the 156th Mechanized Brigade, which is currently in the formation stage as its soldiers continue training in Western Ukraine. He replaces Colonel Denis Merzlikin, with the leadership change likely resulting from an ongoing evaluation process led by Oleh Apostol, as reported on January 19, 2025.

Yuriy Hupalyuk has been defending Ukraine since 2014, taking part in key battles, including Sloviansk, the renowned raid of the 95th Air Assault Brigade, and Debaltseve. He previously served as deputy commander of the 13th Air Assault Battalion before assuming command of the 33rd Mechanized Brigade in 2024. Despite leading a mechanized unit, he comes from an airborne forces background and continues to wear his Air Assault insignia.