Controversial chief of staff for Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces dismissed months after appointment, Ukrainska Pravda reports

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Roman Hladkyi, the controversial Chief of Staff of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), was dismissed from his position just months after being appointed to the post in August 2024, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Oct. 23, citing Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.
Hladkyi was appointed chief of staff of the USF on Aug. 30 after being dismissed from his position as the chief of staff of the Navy due to a scandal in April 2018. The Navy’s press service stated that Hladkyi’s dismissal was due to “shortcomings in official activities following an inspection of a military unit by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.”
“As a result of an investigation conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine, it was determined that Roman Hladkyi’s continued tenure as chief of staff of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine was untenable,” the Defense Ministry told Ukrainska Pravda in a statement following his most recent dismissal.
“This decision was made following all necessary procedures and thorough checks, with the aim of enhancing the unit’s effectiveness and its ability to meet modern challenges,” the statement added.
According to the statement, the decision was made on Oct. 14 and Hladkнi has since been transferred to a reserve battalion.
No additional details were immediately available on Hladkyi’s dismissal.
Following his appointment to the post in August, Ukrainian lawmakers criticized the appointment. Mariana Bezuhla, formerly a member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, questioned how Hladkyi, a native of Crimea and a Navy captain with a questionable reputation, passed the Security Service vetting process and was appointed to such a high position.Prior to his first dismissal in 2018, Ukrainian media also reported allegations that Hladkyi’s wife held Russian citizenship and lived in Russian-occupied Crimea, and that his daughter participated in swimming competitions for the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army.
In 2018, the Defense Ministry denied that information about Hladkyi’s family members was the basis for an internal investigation.
Colonel Oleksii Halabuda, the former commander of the 28th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was appointed to replace Hladkyi, the Defense Ministry said. During Russia’s full-scale invasion, both Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, transforming modern warfare. For the outnumbered Ukrainian forces, drones have become crucial in targeting Russian warships, naval bases, oil refineries, and airfields inside occupied territories and deep behind enemy lines.Ukraine officially established its Unmanned Systems Forces on June 11, four months after President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree to create a separate branch of the armed forces dedicated to enhancing drone operations.