Oleksandr Pavliuk – Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (February 11, 2024 – November 29, 2024).
Place of Birth, Education
He was born on August 20, 1970 in Novograd-Volynsk, Zhytomyr region.
In 1991, he completed his studies at the Kharkiv Guards Higher Tank Command School, and in 2004 – at the National Defense Academy of Ukraine.
Career
From August 1991 to August 1993, Pavliuk served as a tank platoon commander in the 47th Guards Tank Division (with the call sign “Redis”) of the 3rd Combined Arms Red Banner Army. His service took place in Hillersleben in Germany.
In the period from August 1993 to September 1997, he was the commander of a tank company of the 30th Tank Division, stationed in the city of Novograd-Volynskyi in the Zhytomyr region.
From September 1997 to November 1999, he worked as Deputy Chief of Staff of a tank regiment in the same Novograd-Volynskyi in the Zhytomyr region.
From November 1999 to August 2003 he was the commander of a tank battalion, and from March 2005 to July 2006 he was the deputy commander of the brigade in Novograd-Volynskyi.
In July 2006, Pavliuk headed the Ukrainian contingent of peacekeeping forces in Kosovo.
After returning from Kosovo, in the period from March 2007 to February 2009, he again worked as a deputy brigade commander in Novograd-Volynskyi in the Zhytomyr region. After that, he was appointed chief of staff.
In the period from September 2010 to March 2015, he commanded the 24th separate mechanized brigade named after Danylo Halytskyi, stationed in the city of Yavoriv, Lviv region.
From March 2017 to April 2020, he headed the troops of the Operational Command “West”, and since the summer of 2020, he served as the commander of training within the Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
From July 28, 2021 to March 15, 2022, he was the commander of the Joint Forces.
From March 15 to May 21, 2022, Pavliuk served as head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration (RMA). He was entrusted with the task of organizing defense and ensuring the protection of the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv.
On February 14, 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed him First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
On March 6, 2023, by decree of President Pavliuk, he was included in the personal composition of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
From February 11 to November 29, 2024, Oleksandr Pavliuk served as Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine.
Awards and honors
On August 24, 2007, on the occasion of the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine and the 750th anniversary of the first chronicle mention of Novograd-Volynskyi, Pavliuk was awarded a letter of gratitude from the then Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych.
On December 4, 2007, he received the medal “For Military Service to Ukraine”, and on December 6, 2012, Yanukovych awarded him the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III degree.
On December 2, 2016, Pavliuk was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi II degree, and on March 4, 2022, he was awarded the title of “Hero of Ukraine” with the Order of the Golden Star.
