Mykola Oleshchuk

Ukrainian general (born 1979)

Микола Олещук

Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force^[1]

Incumbent

Assumed office
9 August 2021PresidentVolodymyr ZelenskyyPrime MinisterDenys ShmyhalPreceded bySerhii Drozdov Personal detailsBorn

Mykola Mykolaiovych Oleshchuk

(1972-05-25) 25 May 1972 (age 51)
Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet UnionAlma materIvan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine, Kharkiv National University, Zhytomyr Radio-Technical InstituteAwardsHero of Ukraine

Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3d classMilitary serviceAllegianceUkraineYears of service1993–presentRankLieutenant General

CommandsCommander of the Ukrainian Air ForceBattles/wars

Russo-Ukrainian War
- War in Donbas
- 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Mykola Mykolaiovych Oleshchuk (Ukrainian: Микола Миколайович Олещук; born 25 May 1972) is a Ukrainian three-star general who has served as the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force since 9 August 2021.

Biography

He was born in Lutsk on 25 May 1972.

He graduated from the Zhytomyr Radio-Technical Institute [uk] in 1994. In 2004, he graduated from Kharkiv National University with distinction and in 2010, he graduated from the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine. During his service in the Ukrainian Air Force, he specialized on the S-300 missile system.^[2]

He was appointed commander of the Ukrainian Air Force on 9 August 2021.^[1]

On 14 October 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant general.^[3]

Awards

On 26 April 2022 was awarded the third class Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky.^[4]

On 14 October 2022 Oleshchuk was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine by President of Ukraine.^[5]

Armed Forces of Ukraine Day card, 6 December 2022
New Year card, 31 December 2022
Valentine card, 14 February 2023

References

^ ^a ^b "New commanders of Air Assault Forces and Air Force presented". Ukrayinska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
^ "Mykola Oleschuk". Ministry of Defence (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
^ "Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 537/2021". President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 13 September 2022.
^ Decree of the President of Ukraine from 26 квітня 2022 year № 281/2022 «Про відзначення державними нагородами України» (in Ukrainian)
^ Decree of the President of Ukraine from 14 жовтня 2022 year № 715/2022 «Про присвоєння М.Олещуку звання Герой України» (in Ukrainian)

Notes

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Part of the Russo-Ukrainian War

Overview

General	Outline Timeline Prelude (February–April 2022) (April–August 2022) (August–November 2022) (November 2022 – June 2023) (June–August 2023) (September–November 2023) (December 2023 – present) Aerial warfare Defense lines Foreign fighters Information war Naval warfare Legality Map Order of battle Peace negotiations Ukraine's Peace Formula China peace proposal June 2024 global conference Proposed no-fly zone Red lines Reparations Territorial control Women
Prelude	Reactions Disinformation Ukraine bioweapons conspiracy theory Ukraine and weapons of mass destruction 2021 Russia–United States summit 2021 Black Sea incident Belarus–European Union border crisis "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" Crimea Platform Zapad 2021 December 2021 ultimatum 2022 Ukraine cyberattacks Zametil 2022 Union Resolve 2022 Stanytsia Luhanska kindergarten bombing British–Polish–Ukrainian trilateral pact Evacuation of the Donetsk PR and Luhansk PR Mobilization in Donetsk PR and Luhansk PR "Address concerning the events in Ukraine" "On conducting a special military operation"
Background	Dissolution of the Soviet Union 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine historical background Annexation of Crimea reactions War in Donbas 2022 timeline Minsk agreements humanitarian situation international recognition of the Donetsk PR and Luhansk PR Putinism Foundations of Geopolitics Novorossiya Ruscism Russian irredentism Russian imperialism
Foreign relations	Russia–Ukraine Belarus–Ukraine Belarus–Russia Russia–United States Ukraine–United States Russia–NATO Ukraine–NATO enlargement of NATO eastward expansion controversy in Russia open door policy

Military engagements

Southern
Ukraine

Eastern
Ukraine

Battle of Marinka
Battle of Volnovakha
Battle of Kharkiv
Battle of Izium
Battle of Rubizhne
Battle of Popasna
Sloviansk offensive
Battle of Donbas
- Battle of Kreminna
- Battle of the Siverskyi Donets
- Battle of Sievierodonetsk
- Battle of Toshkivka
- First battle of Lyman
- Battle of Sviatohirsk
- Battle of Lysychansk
- Battle of Siversk
- Battle of Pisky
- Battle of Bakhmut
- Battle of Soledar
Battle of Vuhledar
Kharkiv counteroffensive
Luhansk Oblast campaign
Battle of Avdiivka

Northern
Ukraine

Airstrikes
by city

Chernihiv strikes
Dnipro strikes
Ivano-Frankivsk strikes
Kharkiv strikes
Kherson strikes
Khmelnytskyi strikes
Kryvyi Rih strikes
Kyiv strikes
Lviv strikes
Mykolaiv strikes
Odesa strikes
Rivne strikes
Vinnytsia strikes
Zaporizhzhia strikes
Zhytomyr strikes

Airstrikes on
military targets

Resistance

Russian-occupied Ukraine	Popular Resistance of Ukraine Berdiansk Partisan Army Yellow Ribbon Atesh
Belarus and Russia	Assassination of Vladlen Tatarsky Civic Council Irpin Declaration Killing of Darya Dugina National Republican Army Military commissariats arsons Ust-Ilimsk military commissariat shooting Black Bridge Rail war in Russia Stop the Wagons Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists Rail war in Belarus Busly liaciać BYPOL Community of Railway Workers Cyber Partisans

Russian
occupations

Flags used in Russian-occupied Ukraine

Ongoing	Annexation referendums Annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts Elections in Russian-occupied Ukraine Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol Donetsk Oblast Kharkiv Oblast Kherson Oblast Luhansk Oblast Mykolaiv Oblast Zaporizhzhia Oblast
Previous	Chernihiv Oblast Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava oblasts Kyiv Oblast Odesa Oblast Sumy Oblast Zhytomyr Oblast

Potentially
related

Other

War crimes

General	Accusations of genocide in Donbas Allegations of genocide of Ukrainians child abductions Attacks on hospitals Cluster munitions Incendiary weapons Landmines Russian filtration camps Russian mobile crematoriums Russian theft of Ukrainian grain Russian torture chambers Looting Sexual violence Mistreatment of prisoners of war
Attacks on civilians	February 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing Kharkiv government building airstrike 3 March Chernihiv bombing Irpin refugee column shelling Mariupol hospital airstrike Stara Krasnianka care house attack Mykolaiv cluster bombing March 2022 Donetsk attack 2022 Borodianka airstrikes Chernihiv breadline attack Mariupol theatre airstrike Mariupol art school bombing Kyiv shopping centre bombing Sumykhimprom ammonia leak March 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing Mykolaiv government building missile strike Bucha massacre Kramatorsk railway station attack April 2022 Kharkiv cluster bombing Bilohorivka school bombing Shooting of Andrii Bohomaz Maisky Market attack Kremenchuk shopping mall attack Serhiivka missile strike Chasiv Yar missile strike Olenivka prison massacre Kharkiv dormitories missile strike Chaplyne railway station attack Izium mass graves September 2022 Donetsk attack Zaporizhzhia civilian convoy attack Kupiansk civilian convoy shelling Zaporizhzhia residential building airstrike Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure 2023 Dnipro residential building airstrike Ukraine Yellow Kitchen Photo Sloviansk airstrike Uman missile strike Kramatorsk restaurant missile strike Lyman cluster bombing 2023 Pokrovsk missile strike Chernihiv missile strike Kostiantynivka missile strike Hroza missile attack Volnovakha massacre 29 December 2023 Russian strikes on Ukraine 2024 Pokrovsk missile strike 2024 Donetsk attack Lysychansk missile strike 6 March 2024 Odesa strike 22 March 2024 Russian strikes on Ukraine April 2024 Chernihiv missile strike
Crimes against soldiers	Torture of Russian soldiers in Mala Rohan Torture and castration of a Ukrainian POW in Pryvillia Rape of Donetsk People's Republic soldiers by Kadyrovites Murder of Yevgeny Nuzhin Makiivka surrender incident Execution of Oleksandr Matsievskyi Beheading of a Ukrainian prisoner of war in summer 2022
Legal cases	ICC investigation Arrest warrants ICJ court case Task Force on Accountability Universal jurisdiction Crime of aggression Criminal proceedings Vadim Shishimarin Alexander Bobikin and Alexander Ivanov Anton Cherednik

Reactions

States and
official entities

General	Sanctions people and organizations restrictions on transit to Kaliningrad Oblast Military aid European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine People's Bayraktar Signmyrocket.com Humanitarian aid Sanctioned yachts Relations with Russia
Ukraine	Application to NATO Be Brave Like Ukraine Brave1 Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War Decolonization and derussification law Delta Destroyed Russian military equipment exhibition For Courage and Bravery (Ukraine) Grain From Ukraine Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Hero City I Want to Live International Defence Industries Forum International Legion and other foreign units Belarusian Volunteer Corps Terror Battalion Black Maple Company Canadian-Ukrainian Brigade Freedom of Russia Legion German Volunteer Corps Karelian National Battalion Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment Norman Brigade Pahonia Regiment Polish Volunteer Corps Romanian Battlegroup Getica Russian Volunteer Corps Separate Special Purpose Battalion Sibir Battalion Turan Battalion International Sponsors of War Forced confiscation law of Russian property [ru; uk] Look for Your Own Martial law Mobilization Media Center Ukraine National Council for the Recovery of Ukraine from the War [uk] National Multi-Subject Test [uk] North Korea–Ukraine relations Points of Invincibility Recognition of Ichkeria Rescuer City [uk] Save Ukrainian Culture [uk] Syria–Ukraine relations Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra United24 United News
Russia	highways in the annexed territories A290 A291 "Tavrida" R260 R280 "Novorossiya" 2022 Moscow rally 2023 Moscow rally 2022 Moscow Victory Day Parade 2023 Moscow Victory Day Parade 2023 Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly Blockade of Ukraine [ru] Bohdan Khmelnytsky Battalion Censorship in Russia [ru] Chechnya Pro-Ukrainian Chechen fighters Conmemorative Medal "Participant of a Special Military Operation" [ru] Conversations about Important Things Krasovsky case Legalization of parallel imports [ru] Manifesto of the South Russian People's Council Martial law Masha Moskalyova case Metropolis of Crimea Mikhail Simonov case Mobilization Recruitment of irregular forces [ru] Operation Doppelgänger [fr; ru] Opinion polling [ru] Orthodox Christmas truce proposal Wagner Group–Ministry of Defense conflict Russian Orthodox clergymen appeal against war Salvation Committee for Peace and Order Special Coordinating Council Ukraine bioweapons conspiracy theory Unfriendly countries list War censorship laws We Are Together. Sports "What Russia Should Do with Ukraine"
United States	2022 Joe Biden speech in Warsaw 2022 State of the Union Address Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 Disinformation Governance Board Executive Order 14071 Pentagon document leaks Task Force KleptoCapture Ukraine Defense Contact Group Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative
Other countries	Belarus Canada Canada–Ukraine authorization for emergency travel China Chinese peace plan Croatia Denmark Danish European Union defence opt-out referendum Federated States of Micronesia Federated States of Micronesia–Russia relations [ru] France Mission Aigle Georgia [ru] Germany German Taurus leak Zeitenwende speech Hungary [hu] India Operation Ganga Iran Israel Operation Israel Guarantees Lithuania Moldova New Zealand Russia Sanctions Act Poland border crisis with Ukraine Syria [ru] Taiwan [zh-yue] United Kingdom Economic Crime Act Homes for Ukraine Operation Interflex
United Nations	Emergency special session Resolution ES-11/1 Resolution ES-11/2 Resolution ES-11/3 Resolution ES-11/4 Resolution ES-11/5 Resolution ES-11/6 Security Council Resolution 2623 Resolution A/RES/77/229 Easter truce
International organizations	Accession of Moldova to the EU Accession of Ukraine to the EU Brussels summit European Political Community 1st summit 2nd summit 3rd summit Madrid summit NATO virtual summit Operation Oscar Ramstein Air Base meeting EU–Ukraine Summit REPowerEU Steadfast Defender 2024 SWIFT ban against Russian banks Ukraine Recovery Conference Versailles declaration 2023 Vilnius summit 15th BRICS summit
Other	Consecration of Russia F-16 training coalition Finland–NATO relations Finland–Russia border barrier Iron diplomacy Proposed Russian annexation of South Ossetia Recognition of Russia as a terrorist state Removal of monuments and memorials Streets renamed Ukraine Square, Oslo Serving heads of state and government that have visited Ukraine during the invasion Sweden–NATO relations Swedish anti-terrorism bill

Public

Protests	In Ukraine in Russian-occupied Ukraine demolition of monuments to Alexander Pushkin ArmWomenNow Ukrainian Artistic Front In Russia Angry patriots Club of Angry Patriots Anti-War Committee Suspicious deaths of Russian businesspeople Congress of People's Deputies Council of Mothers and Wives Feminist Anti-War Resistance Flower protests Marina Ovsyannikova Russian Action Committee North Caucasian protests 2022 Russian Far East protests State Duma initiative for charging Vladimir Putin of high treason White-blue-white flag In Belarus In China Great Translation Movement In Czech Republic Czech Republic First!
Companies	Address of the Russian Union of Rectors Boycott of Russia and Belarus "Do not buy Russian goods!" E.N.O.T. Corp. Igor Mangushev McDonald's in Russia Vkusno i tochka NashStore [ru] People's Satellite Starlink satellites Stop Bloody Energy Wagner Group Andrey Aleksandrovich Medvedev Death of Nemes Tarimo Yale CELI List of Companies
Technology	Anonymous and the invasion alerts.in.ua DDoS attacks on Romania DeepStateMap.Live IT Army of Ukraine Killnet Liveuamap Open-source intelligence peacenotwar Russian Asset Tracker Squad303 [pl] Ukraine Siren Alerts Wikipedia threat to block in Russia detention of Mark Bernstein
Spies	Diplomatic expulsions during the Russo-Ukrainian War Russian spies in the Russo-Ukrainian War
Other	Association of Azovstal Defenders' Families Black Sea Grain Initiative Collaboration with Russia We Are Together with Russia Concert for Ukraine Free Buryatia Foundation Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum Game4Ukraine Global Tour for Peace Go by the Forest Guide to the Free World Mozart Group Olena Zelenska Foundation Open letter from Nobel laureates Pavel Sudoplatov Battalion Rubikus.HelpUA Ruslan Shostak Charitable Foundation Russia's War Crimes House Saving Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Online Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation Spain letter bomb attacks Yermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions Pavel Filatyev True Russia Volos Declaration Wimbledon ban

Impact

Effects

Human rights

Humanitarian impact
Ukrainian refugee crisis
- Sobieskiego 100
UN Commission of Inquiry
UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission

Terms and phrases

"And now I will show you where the attack on Belarus was prepared from"
"Anglo-Saxons"
"Bavovna"
"Grandpa in his bunker"
"Good evening, we are from Ukraine"
"Orc"
"Putin khuylo!"
"Khuy Voyne!"
"Russia is here forever [ru; uk]"
"Russian warship, go fuck yourself"
"Slava Ukraini!"
"Special military operation"
"To bomb Voronezh"
"Strength is in truth"
"Westsplaining"
"Where have you been for eight years?"
"Without you"

Popular culture

Songs	12 Bakhmut Fortress Bayraktar Bilia topoli City of Mary Flowers of Minefields Generation Cancellation Generation Z Oyda Hey, Hey, Rise Up! Mama ŠČ! Oi u luzi chervona kalyna Slava Ukraini! Stefania Ukraine
Films	20 Days in Mariupol A Rising Fury Follow Me Turn in the Wound Ukraine on Fire 2 [uk]
Other	Babylon'13 Back to the Cold War Borodianka cat [uk] Ghost of Kyiv Kherson watermelon Královec Region Madonna of Kyiv North Atlantic Fella Organization Newspeak in Russia [ru; uk] Patron "Putler" "Putinversteher" Raccoon of Kherson Saint Javelin Saint Mariuburg [ru; uk] Vasylkiv maiolica rooster Vladimir Putin's meeting table Walk of the Brave "Z" military symbol

Key people

Ukrainians	Volodymyr Zelenskyy speeches during the invasion visit to the United States visit to the United Kingdom visits to Europe Andriy Biletsky Denys Shmyhal Denys Kireyev Denys Monastyrsky Denys Prokopenko Iryna Venediktova Kyrylo Budanov Mykola Oleschuk Oleksandr Pavlyuk Oleksandr Syrskyi Oleksii Reznikov Oleksiy Danilov Oleksiy Neizhpapa Ruslan Khomchak Sergiy Kyslytsya Serhiy Shaptala Serhii Sternenko Valerii Zaluzhnyi Vitali Klitschko Yevhen Moisiuk
Russians	Vladimir Putin Aleksandr Dvornikov Aleksandr Lapin Aleksey Nagin Alexander Bortnikov Andrei Kolesnikov Andrei Sychevoi Andrey Belousov Andrey Vorobyov Dmitry Medvedev Gennady Zhidko Igor Kastyukevich Ivan Popov Mikhail Mishustin Maria Lvova-Belova Nikolai Patrushev Oleg Salyukov Oleg Tsokov Ramzan Kadyrov Roman Berdnikov Rustam Muradov Sergey Kobylash Sergey Lavrov Sergey Naryshkin Sergei Shoigu Sergey Surovikin Timur Ivanov Valery Gerasimov Viktor Sokolov Viktor Zolotov Vitaly Gerasimov Vyacheslav Gladkov Vyacheslav Volodin Yevgeny Prigozhin
Other	Alexander Lukashenko Denis Pushilin Leonid Pasechnik

Related
2023 North Korea–Russia summit 2024 Korochansky Ilyushin Il-76 crash Anti-Russian sentiment Anti-Ukrainian sentiment Antonov An-225 Mriya Azovstal Iron and Steel Works Belgorod accidental bombing Brovary helicopter crash Bryansk Oblast military aircraft crashes Claims of Vladimir Putin's incapacity and death Decolonization in Ukraine Decommunization in Ukraine Derussification in Ukraine Demolition of monuments to Alexander Pushkin in Ukraine Foreign leaders that have visited during the invasion Institute for the Study of War Irkutsk military aircraft crash Ivanovo Ilyushin Il-76 crash Kyivstar cyberattack [ru; uk] Lady R incident Nord Stream 2 Proposed Russian annexation of Transnistria Punisher Russian nuclear weapons Sarmat Russian military presence in Transnistria Ryazan military aircraft crash Siberian wildfires Sinhury mid-air collision [uk; zh] Soloti military training ground shooting Soviet imagery U-24 association Ural Airlines Flight 1383 Voronezh military aircraft crash "The Vladimir Putin Interview" Yeysk military aircraft crash Moldovan coup d'état attempt allegations 2023 visit by Joe Biden to Ukraine 2023 visit by Fumio Kishida to Ukraine 2023 visit by Xi Jinping to Russia 2023 visit by Yoon Suk Yeol to Ukraine Wagner Group plane crash Yaroslav Hunka scandal