Roman Gladkiy Chief of Staff of the Command of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Date of Birth: 09.09.1975 Country: Ukraine

1. Early Career and Naval Service
2. Leadership Roles in the Naval Forces
3. Humanitarian Mission and Aftermath
4. Leadership in the Joint Forces
5. Controversy and Promotion

Early Career and Naval Service

Captain 1st Rank Serhiy Hladkyi graduated from the Sevastopol Naval Institute in 1997. He then served in various positions in the Ukrainian Navy from 1997 to 2013, including as Commander of the missile and artillery combat section of the small anti-submarine ship "Lutsk" and Commander of the medium landing ship "Kirovohrad" (later renamed "Yuriy Olefirenko").

Leadership Roles in the Naval Forces

From 2004 to 2013, Hladkyi held commanding positions within the Naval Forces, including Commander of the large landing ship "Konstantin Olshanskyi," Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of a brigade, Commander of a brigade of surface ships, Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Center for Maritime Operations, and Commander of the Command Center and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces.

Humanitarian Mission and Aftermath

In 2011, while serving as Commander of the "Konstantin Olshanskyi," Hladkyi led a humanitarian mission to evacuate Ukrainian citizens and nationals of other countries from Libya during the Libyan Civil War. Under his leadership, 85 Ukrainian citizens and 108 citizens of other states were successfully evacuated. Following Russia's annexation of Crimea, Hladkyi left the peninsula, while his wife and child remained.

Leadership in the Joint Forces

From 2015 to 2016, Hladkyi headed the Directorate of Surface and Underwater Forces of the Naval Forces of Ukraine. In July 2016, he became Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Naval Forces. In this role, he was relieved of his duties in 2018 due to improper discharge of official duties. Hladkyi subsequently led the Joint Center for Control and Coordination of Ceasefire and Stabilization of the Demarcation Line (JCCC) in 2019.

Controversy and Promotion

In 2020-2023, Hladkyi served as Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the Joint Forces Command and Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. His appointment as Chief of Staff of the Command of Unmanned Systems Forces in August 2024 sparked criticism from public, political, and military figures. According to the DeepState portal, the Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Vadim Sukharevskyi, was opposed to this appointment.