Zelenskyy Promoted the Commander of Army Aviation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has conferred the military rank of brigadier general on Pavlo Bardakov, commander of Army Aviation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Land Forces Command. The head of state signed the corresponding decree on July 3.
“To confer the military rank of brigadier general upon Colonel Pavlo Oleksiyovych Bardakov, commander of Army Aviation of the Land Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the decree states.
During a ceremony marking Army Aviation Day of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Ground Forces, Zelenskyy presented Bardakov with the epaulets of a brigadier general.
Pavlo Bardakov is one of the most experienced commanders. His military career includes peacekeeping experience (in 2016, he participated in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the 18th Separate Helicopter Squadron) as well as service in the ATO/JFO. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, he has continued to defend Ukrainian airspace.
Today, Army Aviation soldiers of the Ground Forces support Defense Forces units on the front lines, evacuate the wounded, and strike the enemy. As President Zelenskyy noted, Army Aviation is currently carrying out another extremely important mission—modernized Ukrainian helicopters have become an effective part of the defense of the skies against Russian drones. Army aviation personnel have already taken down thousands of enemy targets. And this is a unique achievement for Ukraine.
Pavlo Bardakov consistently advocates for the modernization of Ukraine’s aviation fleet. During one of the “roundtable” discussions held at Ukrinform, he stated that to this day, the majority of Ukraine’s aviation fleet consists of Soviet-era equipment, which poses significant challenges in wartime when access to Russian components is impossible. To remedy the situation, the commander believes it is necessary to accelerate the introduction of new technologies, and to do so, the certification and testing procedures established for peacetime should be simplified.
At the same time, Bardakov advocates making maximum use of the aircraft available to Ukrainian pilots—even light aircraft—to shoot down UAVs.
Pavlo Bardakov is a Knight of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd Class, and the Order “For Courage,” 3rd Class.
The corresponding decree No. 565/2026 has been published on the website of the President of Ukraine.
As a reminder, Zelenskyy congratulated the military on the Day of Army Aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Every year on July 3, Ukraine celebrates Army Aviation Day of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is a new professional military holiday that was officially established by Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 17/2025 dated January 8, 2025.
Syrskyi congratulated the aviation personnel on their professional holiday and thanked them for defending Ukraine.
