A document, presented as a report by the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, has been published online Pavlo Yelizarov requesting his dismissal from office and from military service. The decision is linked to Mykhailo Fedorov’s announced resignation as Minister of Defence and the risks to air defence reforms.
Briefly about the main points
- A document purporting to be a report by Pavel Yelizarov has appeared online.
- The text mentions a request to be relieved of one’s post and discharged from military service.
- The reason given is the risk of air defence reforms being blocked.
- The Air Force and the Ministry of Defence have not commented on the document publicly.
- Yelizarov was responsible for the development of «small-scale» air defence and the interception of drones.
What the published document contains
This report is addressed to the Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Anatoliy Kryvonozhko. The text contains a request to dismiss the Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from his post, as well as to terminate his contract and discharge him from military service.
The document links this decision to the dismissal of the Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorovwho is described as the driving force behind strategic reforms in air defence. The text also states that blocking such changes could lead to casualties and destruction as a result of Russian aggression.
The report cites family circumstances as the formal reason, referring to Article 26 of the Law «On Military Duty and Military Service». It is specifically stated that the individual does not wish to continue serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine or to remain in the military reserve; it is suggested that the personal file be forwarded to the Pechersk District Military Registration and Enlistment Office and the Joint Staff in Kyiv.
Status of the document and the HR procedure
At present, there has been no public confirmation from Yelizarov himself, the Air Force, the General Staff or the Ministry of Defence that the document has in fact been submitted. Therefore, the reasons set out in it can only be regarded as assertions contained in the published report.
Even the submission of a report does not automatically result in dismissal. A separate HR decision is required for this. Similarly, a reference to family circumstances does not in itself establish that the legal grounds for termination of service have already been formalised.
The «small-scale» air defence sector
Pavlo Yelizarov was appointed Deputy Commander of the Air Force on 19 January 2026 by order of the then Minister of Defence, Fedorov; the appointment was approved by the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Officially, Yelizarov was responsible for the development of «small-scale» air defence and interception of drones.
Prior to this, he had been the commander of the Lasar’s Group special forces unit. The new approach announced by Zelenskyy involved the use of mobile fire teams, interceptor drones and other short-range air defence systems. Fedorov described the aim of creating an anti-drone dome as a system for detecting and neutralising threats as they approach.
Fedorov’s statement and subsequent decisions
On 15 July, Mykhailo Fedorov publicly announced that he was stepping down as Minister of Defence. However, on the Ministry of Defence’s website, as of 16 July, he was still listed as the incumbent minister. A public statement does not complete the legal procedure: the decision on the appointment of the Minister of Defence is taken by the Verkhovna Rada.
According to Fedorov’s assessment, as reported by LB.ua, during his time in office the number of drones intercepted rose from 83% to 91%, and cruise missiles — from 47% to 87%. The report did not explain the methodology behind these calculations.
