Controversial captain named chief of staff for Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, media says

Captain Roman Hladkyi, who was previously dismissed from the Navy amid controversy, has been appointed Chief of Staff of the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske reported on Aug. 30, citing USF communication specialist Vitalii Medvediev.
Hladkyi’s appointment was approved by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on July 25, according to Medvediev.
Hladkyi served as the Navy’s chief of staff until April 2018, when he was dismissed amid a scandal.
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.”
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.
Lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla, formerly a member of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, criticized the appointment on Facebook. Bezuhla 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.
Bezuhla also alleged that Hladkyi is “a suspect in high treason, espionage, and corruption,” though law enforcement agencies had not officially confirmed this.
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.