Ukraine's Air Force Appoints Pavlo Yelizarov (Lazar) as Deputy Commander.

Pavlo Yelizarov's Appointment

According to TSN.ua: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved the appointment of Pavlo Yelizarov (call sign "Lazar") as Deputy Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov signing the official decree. This key military appointment comes as Ukraine continues to face significant aerial and drone threats in the ongoing war.

Career and Achievements

Born in Chisinau in 1968, Pavlo Yelizarov has held a diverse range of positions in both civilian and military spheres. His career path includes:

• 2007–2008: Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of Ukraine;
• September 2009 - April 2010: Deputy Head of the State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine;
• 2010: Shareholder and media manager of Savik Shuster Studio LLC;
• February 2022: Joined the ranks of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine.

In the security domain, he graduated from the National Defense University of Ukraine in 2025. Under his command, the Lasar’s Group unit achieved notable successes. In September 2025, the group ranked sixth in the unmanned systems unit ratings. Lasar’s Group is credited with destroying enemy equipment valued at over $13 billion, and in December of that year alone, it eliminated 364 artillery pieces and 12 multiple launch rocket systems.

Yelizarov's appointment to this senior Air Force role underscores the value placed on his combat experience and his unit's proven capacity to counter modern battlefield threats.

His prior achievements in drone warfare and defense are likely to be crucial for Ukraine's strategic planning and defense policy implementation. This move may also signal leadership adaptations aimed at meeting the evolving challenges of the conflict, where air defense and unmanned systems play a decisive role.