Major General Dmytro Krasylnykov, commander of Ukraine's Northern Operational Command, has been dismissed from his post, he told Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne on March 12.
Krasylnykov said he was not given an official reason for his dismissal. The order, signed on March 7, places him in a reserve battalion.
"I'm guessing, but I don't want to talk about it yet," Krasylnykov told Suspilne when asked about the possible reasons for his removal. Brigadier General Oleksii Shandar, who previously served as the deputy commander of the Airborne Assault Forces, has been appointed as his successor, Krasylnykov added.
The dismissal follows reports of intensified Russian advances against Ukrainian positions in Kursk Oblast, where Kyiv launched a cross-border incursion in August 2024.
The Northern Operational Command oversees units deployed in Ukraine's northern regions, including Sumy Oblast, the launching ground for the Kursk incursion.
Speaking to the outlet, Krasylnykov said he does not see any possible reasons for his dismissal, including in relation to the developments in Kursk Oblast.
"Roughly speaking, I left Kursk Oblast back in November (2024)," he said.
Russian forces have entered the Kursk Oblast town of Sudzha as of March 12, according to multiple Russian and Ukrainian sources, claiming that fighting is ongoing. The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the claims.
Krasylnykov had commanded the Northern Operational and Tactical Group since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. In March 2023, he was appointed commander of the Northern Operational Command.
On Feb. 28, 2022, Krasylnykov was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Golden Star for his role in defending Ukraine's sovereignty.
Concerns about the situation in Kursk Oblast have grown amid Ukraine's temporary loss of U.S. military and intelligence support after the Feb. 28 clash between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump.
The support was resumed on March 11 after Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed temporary ceasefire.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
