Mykola Mykolaiovych Oleshchuk (Ukrainian: Микола Миколайович Олещук; born 25 May 1972) is a Ukrainian lieutenant general who served as the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force from 2021 to 2024.
Mykola Oleshchuk | |
|---|---|
| Микола Олещук | |
 Oleshchuk in 2021 | |
| Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force[1] | |
| In office 9 August 2021 – 30 August 2024 | |
| President | Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
| Prime Minister | Denys Shmyhal |
| Preceded by | Serhii Drozdov |
| Succeeded by | Anatolii Kryvonozhko |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mykola Mykolaiovych Oleshchuk 25 May 1972 Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Alma mater | Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine, Kharkiv National University, Zhytomyr Radio-Technical Institute |
| Awards | Hero of Ukraine  Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3d class |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Ukraine |
| Years of service | 1993–present |
| Rank | Lieutenant General .svg){kind=small} |
| Commands | Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force |
| Battles/wars | |
Biography
editHe was born in Lutsk on 25 May 1972.
He graduated from the Zhytomyr Radio-Technical Institute in 1994. In 2004, he graduated from Kharkiv National University with distinction and in 2010, he graduated from the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine. During his service in the Ukrainian Air Force, he specialized on the S-300 missile system.[2]
He was appointed commander of the Ukrainian Air Force on 9 August 2021.[1]
On 14 October 2021, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.[3]
On 30 August 2024, he was fired by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a day after it was announced that an F-16 had crashed on 26 August.[4][5] He was replaced by Anatolii Kryvonozhko.[4]
Awards
editOn 26 April 2022, Oleshchuk was awarded the third class Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky.[6]
On 14 October 2022, Oleshchuk was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine by President of Ukraine.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b "New commanders of Air Assault Forces and Air Force presented". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Mykola Oleschuk". Ministry of Defence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 537/2021". President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Ukraine's air force commander dismissed after F-16 crash". Reuters. 30 August 2024.
- ^ "President Zelensky sacks Ukraine air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk".
- ^ Decree of the President of Ukraine from 26 квітня 2022 year № 281/2022 «Про відзначення державними нагородами України» (in Ukrainian)
- ^ Decree of the President of Ukraine from 14 жовтня 2022 year № 715/2022 «Про присвоєння М.Олещуку звання Герой України» (in Ukrainian)
