Vadym Sukharevskyi

Vadym Olehovych Sukharevskyi , callsign Badger ( ; born 6 October 1984), is a colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He had served as Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2024 to 2025. He was the first officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, under whose command fire was opened to defeat Russian militants in the Donbas war. In 2022, he was awarded Hero of Ukraine.

Sukharevskyi was previously Commander of the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade (2022–2024), Chief of Staff of the 35th Marine Brigade (2021–2022), Commander of the 503rd Marine Battalion (2016–2021), and previously served in the Airborne Forces.

Pre-war education and early career

Born 6 October 1984 in Berehove, Zakarpattia Oblast. Sukharevsky attended Mukachevo High School, which specializes in military and physical training.

Russo-Ukrainian war

On the morning of 13 April 2014, a company from the 80th Airmobile Brigade, under the command of Senior Lieutenant Sukharevskiy, was redeployed to the vicinity of the city of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast. Sloviansk had been captured the previous day by Russian fighters under the leadership of Igor Girkin. Ukrainian paratroopers were supporting high-ranking officers from the General Staff and special forces Alpha Group who had arrived on the outskirts of Sloviansk. The group of Ukrainian officers was then ambushed by Russian fighters. The Ukrainian paratroopers hesitated, as they had been instructed not to open fire. Sukharevskiy was the first Ukrainian officer to fire at the Russian fighters when he ordered an armored personnel carrier machine gunner to open fire.

Later that year Sukharevskiy was wounded in battles near Krasny in Luhansk Oblast, and until 2016 studied at Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University. After that he commanded the 1st line battalion of the 36th Marine Brigade near Mariupol.

In 2020, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. From 2021 he was chief of staff of the 35th Marine Brigade. In 2022 he took command of the 59th Motorized Brigade. The same year he was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine; at that time he held the rank of colonel, and was listed as one of the 25 most influential Ukrainian military personnel by the Ministry of Defense. and also Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Comparing Russian and Ukrainian drone warfare, he said that the enemy has more drones, as they are better at mass production, but that Ukraine is first with innovations. and that alternatives to Starlink in the war would soon be in use in areas where it is not available, such as Crimea. In contrast the EU is not expected to have their satellite comms system IRIS² operational before the late 2020s.

On 3 June 2025, he was relieved of his command of the Unmanned Systems Forces.

Personal life Sukharevskyi is married, and has a daughter and a son.