Oleksandr Heorhiiovych Tarnavskyi ( uk, Олександр Георгійович Тарнавський; born 12 May 1970) is a Ukrainian military officer and

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

who rose to prominence during the

Russo-Ukraine War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...

due to his leading role during the counteroffensive in southern Ukraine in 2022 and 2023. He is the former Commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group and the former Commander of the Sloboda operational-strategic group. He is also a Knight of all degrees of the

Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky The Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky ( uk, Орден Богдана Хмельницького, Orden Bohdana Khmelʹnytsʹkoho) is a Ukrainian military award named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks. The award was establi ...

Biography

Tarnavskyi was born on May 12, 1970 in the city of

Dnipro Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...

petrovsk to a family of doctors. In 2011, Tarnavskyi was appointed as a Commander of the 17th Separate Tank Brigade and led the combat unit through 2015. In May 2012, Tarnavskyi attended the consecration of the UOC (MP) church, which was located on the territory of the 17th Separerate Tank Brigade. From 2022 to 2024, holding the rank

, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi held the position of the Commander of the Operational Command "East". Tarnavskyi became the Deputy Commander of

Operational Command East Operational Command East (OC East) is a formation of the Ukrainian Ground Forces in eastern Ukraine. Its headquarters is currently located in Dnipro. History When Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1992, there were three Sovie ...

(Unit A1314) in mid-2022. Shortly thereafter, Tarnavskyi would command the Sloboda group. Tarnavskyi later assumed command of an operational-strategic grouping of troops that was active in both the

2022 Kherson counteroffensive A military counteroffensive was launched by Ukraine on 29 August 2022 to expel Russian forces occupying the southern regions of Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts. Military analysts consider the counteroffensive to be the third strategic phase of ...

and the subsequent

liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

Kherson Kherson (, ) is a port city of Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers appr ...

. Tarnavskyi commanded the Southern grouping of forces during the

2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive In early June 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces occupying its territory with a long-term goal of breaching the frontlines. Efforts were made in many directions, primarily ...

. During this tenure, Tarnavskyi was involved in the Ukrainian breakthrough of Russian defensive lines in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, which in turn resulted in the liberation of

Robotyne Robotyne ( uk, Роботине, ) is a village in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. Administratively, it is part of Tokmak urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The village is approximately southeast of Orikhiv, and nort ...

. Tarnavskyi was later appointed as the Commander of the Avdiivka front, a position he would hold until the city was captured by Russian forces in February 2024. Following the fall of Avdiivka, Tarnavskyi became Commander of the Training Command of the

Ground Forces of Ukraine The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the Army, land forces of Ukraine and one of the five Military branch, branches of the Armed For ...

Military ranks

On December 10, 2021, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi was awarded the rank of

Russian-Ukrainian war

Throughout the Russian-Ukrainian War, Tarnavskyi has been designated command over a number of operational groups both in

Eastern Ukraine Eastern Ukraine or east Ukraine ( uk, Східна Україна, Skhidna Ukrayina; russian: Восточная Украина, Vostochnaya Ukraina) is primarily the territory of Ukraine east of the Dnipro (or Dnieper) river, particularly Khark ...

and

Southern Ukraine Southern Ukraine ( uk, південна Україна, translit=pivdenna Ukrayina) or south Ukraine refers, generally, to the oblasts in the south of Ukraine. The territory usually corresponds with the Soviet economical district, the Southern E ...

. These designations include the following: * Commander of the Donetsk operational tactical group; * Commander of the Sloboda operational group; * Commander of the Kharkiv operational group; * Commander of the Oleksandria operational and strategic group; * Commander of the Kherson operational-strategic group; * Commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group.

Awards

Oleksandr Tarnavskyi has been awarded the

three times.

References

{{Reflist Ukrainian military officers Ukrainian military leaders Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 1970 births Military personnel from Dnipro Brigadier generals of Ukraine Ukrainian military personnel of the Russo-Ukrainian War