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Vadym Olehovich Sukharevsky (Ukrainian: Вадим Олегович Сухаревський), callsign Badger (Ukrainian: Борсук, romanized: Borsuk ),[1] is a colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the first commander of Unmanned Systems Forces in the world.[2] He was the first officer of the Armed Forces under whose command fire was opened in the Russo-Ukrainian war.[3][4] In 2022 he was awarded Hero of Ukraine.
Vadym Sukharevsky | |
|---|---|
 Sukharevsky in 2022 | |
| Native name | Вадим Олегович Сухаревський |
| Other name(s) | Badger |
| Born | 6 October 1984 Berehove, Transcarpathian region, Ukrainian SSR |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Awards | Hero of Ukraine (2022) |
Before becoming Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces he was: Commander of the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade (2022–2024), Chief of Staff of the 35th Marine Brigade, and Commander of the 503rd Marine Infantry Battalion.[5]
Pre-war education and early career
editBorn 6 October 1984[6] in Berehove Zakarpattia Oblast,[7] Sukharevsky attended Mukachevo High School, which specializes in military and physical training.[6]
From February to October 2004, as part of the 6th Mechanized Brigade, Sukharevsky was in Operation Iron Saber in Iraq, and took part in the battle against the Mahdi Army in Al Kut.[6] In 2009 he graduated from the Institute of Ground Forces of Lviv Polytechnic, majoring in "Combat application and control of actions of airmobile units".[7]
In 2011 Sukharevsky was promoted to senior lieutenant, to command the airmobile company of the 80th Airmobile Regiment. The commander of the regiment, Viktor Kopachynskyi, noted Sukharevskyi as one of the two best commanders of the regiment's companies.[8]
Russian-Ukrainian war
editOn the morning of 13 April 2014, a company from the 80th Airmobile Brigade, under the command of Senior Lieutenant Sukharevskiy, was redeployed to the vicinity of the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast. Sloviansk had been captured the previous day by Russian fighters under the leadership of Igor Girkin. Ukrainian paratroopers were supporting high-ranking officers from the General Staff and special forces Alpha Group who had arrived on the outskirts of Sloviansk. The group of Ukrainian officers was then ambushed by Russian fighters. The Ukrainian paratroopers hesitated, as they had been instructed not to open fire. Sukharevskiy was the first Ukrainian officer to fire at the Russian fighters when he ordered an armored personnel carrier machine gunner to open fire.[1][9][10]
Later that year Sukharevskiy was wounded in battles near Krasny in Luhansk Oblast,[11] and until 2016 studied at Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University.[12] After that he commanded the 1st line battalion of the 36th Marine Brigade near Mariupol.[13]
In 2020 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.[14] From 2021 he was chief of staff of the 35th Marine Brigade. In 2022 he took command of the 59th Motorized Brigade.[15] The same year he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine; at that time he held the rank of colonel,[16][17] and was listed as one of the 25 most influential Ukrainian military personnel by the Ministry of Defense.[15]
Unmanned Systems
editSukharevskyi was appointed commander of the newly created Unmanned Systems Forces in 2024,[2] and also Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.[18] Comparing Russian and Ukrainian drone warfare, he said that the enemy has more drones, as they are better at mass production, but that Ukraine is first with innovations.[2] He also said that by the end of the year he hoped to have unmanned ground vehicles in widespread use,[19] and that alternatives to Starlink in the war would soon be in use in areas where it is not available, such as Crimea.[20][21] In contrast the EU is not expected to have their satellite comms system IRIS² operational before the late 2020s.[22]
Awards
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Цензор.НЕТ. "Перший офіцер ЗСУ, який відкрив вогонь по російських агресорах" [The first officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to open fire on Russian aggressors: Vadym Sukharevskyi violated the order not to shoot and saved SBU employees near Slovyansk on April 13, 2014] (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ a b c "Vadym Sukharevsky, the man in charge of Ukraine's drones". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ "Перший день. Перший постріл. Перший Герой" [The first day. The first shot. The first Hero]. People’s Project.com (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "Морпіх має бути принциповим та безжальним — підполковник Вадим Сухаревський" [A marine must be principled and ruthless - Lt. Col. Vadym Sukharevskyi]. armyinform.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "Vadym Sukharevsky was appointed commander of the UAV Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine". babel.ua. 10 June 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Vadym Sukharevskyi". before-war-after.com. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Капітан Сухаревський Вадим Олегович | Національна академія сухопутних військ" [Captain Sukharevsky Vadim Olegovich | National Academy of Ground Forces]. www.asv.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ СТЕЦИШИН, Віталій (2011). "КРАЩИЙ ПОЛК УКРАЇНСЬКОГО ВІЙСЬКА" [The Best Regiment of the Ukrainian Army] (PDF). asv.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). p. 15.
- ^ Butusov, Yuri (13 April 2016). "Історія першого бою АТО 13 квітня 2014-го під Слов'янськом очима підполковника "Альфи" Андрія Дубовика (позивний Правосек): "Бойовик вискочив за п'ять метрів, я побачив, як входять в нього мої кулі, і тут же куля відкинула мене"" [The story of the first ATO battle on April 13, 2014 near Sloviansk, through the eyes of "Alpha" lieutenant colonel Andrii Dubovyk (call sign Pravosek): "The fighter jumped out five meters away, I saw my bullets entering him, and immediately the bullet knocked me back"] (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- ^ "Першим відкрив вогонь у 2014 році. Хто такий Сухаревський, який став заступником головкома ЗСУ" [He was the first to open fire in 2014. Who is Sukharevskyi, who became the deputy head of the Armed Forces?]. РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ "Aug. 16-17, 2014. 80th Airmobile Brigade engages in battle with Russian troops near Luhansk. 10 Ukrainian soldiers killed. Captain Sukharevskyi wounded in close combat with Russian patrol".
- ^ Mukhina, Olena (5 April 2023). "Ukrainian city names street after soldier who was awarded the Gold Star Order for fighting against Russian military". Euromaidan Press. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Легендарний "Борсук". Що відомо про командувача Сил безпілотних систем Сухаревського" [The legendary "Badger". What is known about the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Sukharevskyi?]. РБК-Украина (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ "Комбату 503-го ОБМП Сухаревському присвоїли звання підполковника" [Combatant of the 503rd OBMP Sukharevsky was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel]. censor.net (in Ukrainian). 8 June 2020.
- ^ a b "Взвод № 1. НВ називає 25 найвпливовіших українських військових" [Platoon No. 1.: Nv Names 25 Most Influential Ukrainian Military]. nv.ua. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
- ^ "Володимир Зеленський відвідав передові позиції українських військ на Миколаївщині та нагородив захисників" [Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the advanced positions of the Ukrainian troops in the Mykolaiv region and awarded the defenders].
- ^ "Зеленський присвоїв звання Герой України командиру 59-ї ОМБр Сухаревському" [Zelensky awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to the commander of the 59th OMBr Sukharevsky]. Цензор.НЕТ (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "Personnel revolution in the Ukrainian armed forces". OSW Centre for Eastern Studies. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
- ^ "У Збройних силах України з'явилися підрозділи, що спеціалізуються на наземних дронах, – полковник Сухаревський" [The Armed Forces of Ukraine have units specializing in ground drones - Colonel Sukharevskyi]. LB.ua. 14 April 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Ukraine finds Starlink alternative for targeting Crimea's waters". RBC-Ukraine. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Pentagon Deal With Musk's Starlink in Ukraine Extended Six Months for $14 Million". Bloomberg News. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "EU's rival to Elon Musk's Starlink struggles to take off". Politico. 25 July 2024. Retrieved 4 August 2024.