Tactical Group Donetsk

Full name: Operational Tactical Group “Donetsk”

Ukrainian: Оперативно-тактичне угруповання Донецьк

Active:

–

Military Unit Number:

???

Garrison:

Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast

Size:

Corps

Motto:

n/a

Unit Role:

Army Group

Ukrainian Units › Ground Forces › Tactical Group Donetsk

About Unit

Operational Tactical Group Donetsk is a unit of the Operational Strategic Group Khortytsia, part of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

The tactical group oversees concerns, matters, and direction of combat actions in the Donetsk sector of the frontline. It is garrisoned in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast.

On December 14, 2024, the commander of the Tactical Group Donetsk, Brigadier General Oleksandr Lutsenko, was dismissed. This came following many criticisms for failing to defend Avdiivka, establish deep defensive positions behind the city, and halt further Russians towards the city of Pokrovsk, which Russian forces began to near its gates. The leadership faced heavy scrutiny since the fall of Avdiivka, and many early reports went unaddressed. He was reportedly reassigned to another role within the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

Lutsenko was replaced by Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, who had previously led the Operational Strategic Group Tavria, overseeing the area where Ukrainian forces launched their main offensive towards the Melitopol direction during the summer counteroffensive of 2023, being one of the key commanders of the offensive.

On June 16th, 2025, Major General Viktor Nikolyuk replaced Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, who, according to Ukrainska Pravda, resigned at his own request due to health complications.

Major General

Viktor Nikolyuk

He graduated from the Kharkiv Tank School and the National Defense University, serving as chief of staff of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade and later commander of the 92nd Mechanized Brigade. He was appointed commander of Operational Command North in 2021 and played a key role in defending Chernihiv Oblast following the full-scale invasion in 2022. In 2023, he became commander of the Ground Forces Training Command, and in 2024, he took command of the 10th Army Corps. In 2015, he was accused but denied involvement in an attack on a mobile anti-smuggling group and filed a lawsuit to clear his name.