East JFO troops led by first general of independent Ukraine, who conducted defense of Donetsk Airport

Major General Oleh Mikats became the commander of troops of the East operational command. Commander of the Ground Forces of the AFU, Colonel General Oleksandr Sirsky introduced him to the personnel on August 17.

He is the first general of independent Ukraine, he did not serve in the Soviet army. Major General Oleh Mikats fought back the aggressor from the first days of the war and was together with the soldiers in the most difficult battles.

He was the commander of the 93rd mechanized brigade during 2013-2015. His brigade took part in confronting the terrorist groups of the "DNR" and Russian troops since the beginning of the war in eastern Ukraine. On July 10, 2014, the brigade units accepted battle near Karlivka in cooperation with volunteer battalions, and on July 24, they took control of the villages of Pisky and Pervomaiske, which allowed Ukrainian troops to control the road between Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk.

Oleh Mikats has been in charge of the Donetsk Airport defense since September 2014.

He was appointed Deputy Commander of the West Operational Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in March 2017. He was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree.