Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces Gladkikh fired: what is the reason and who will replace him

Roman Gladkiy no longer heads the headquarters of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USS) command. This information was confirmed by the staff sergeant of the SBS command, Oleksandr Yarmak. According to him, a new person has already been appointed as chief of staff of the UAS, but Yarmak does not know him personally yet, but noted positive feedback from volunteers.

According to sources of the publication Suspilne, the new chief of staff of the Unmanned Systems Force is Colonel Oleksiy Khalabuda, who previously commanded the 28th separate mechanised brigade named after the Knights of the Winter Campaign. However, there was no official confirmation from the AFU General Staff at the time of publication.

Roman Gladky scandal

Earlier, after Gladky's appointment, the media published allegations against his family, including information about his wife's Russian passport and his daughter's ties to the Russian FSB. There were also rumours of suspicions of treason and corruption. However, the SBS command defended Gladky, emphasising his years of experience and relevant military education.

It also emerged that while holding the post of chief of staff of the Unmanned Systems Forces Command, he had not been vetted by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) before his appointment to the post. This was reported by the head of the press service of the SBU Artem Dekhtyarenko, whose words are quoted by Suspilne.

Dekhtyarenko stressed that the appointment to the post of chief of staff is made by order of the defence minister on the basis of the submission of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The procedure does not require mandatory checks or approvals from the SBU and is an internal personnel decision of the AFU.

At the same time, in 2018, there were media reports that Gladkiy allegedly tried to recruit Russian special services. It was also indicated that his wife might have Russian citizenship. In this regard, in 2018, he was dismissed from the post of chief of staff - first deputy commander of the Navy of the AFU. However, the AFU noted that in the period from 2018 to 2019 Gladky passed all the necessary SBU checks and had a security clearance.