Zelensky Signs Decree Creating New Long-Range Strike, Rapid Response Commands

President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced the creation of a special long-range command and a new rapid-response branch within the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), aimed at intensifying strikes on Russia and speeding up military reactions along the front.

The special command will focus exclusively on weakening Russia’s warfighting potential, while the newly formed Joint Rapid Response Forces will merge assault troops with drones, artillery and other capabilities into a single, fast-acting formation, according to Zelensky’s statement.

“This command must concentrate 100% of the available resources on degrading Russia’s warfighting potential even more,” Zelensky said, adding that “the commander in charge of this direction will be strong and certainly highly experienced.”

Overhauling assault forces

Zelensky said Ukraine’s assault formations will undergo important changes, including how personnel are treated, and indicated that these changes will be introduced at the command level. Law enforcement agencies, he noted, are already taking procedural steps linked to these reforms.

Joint Rapid Response Forces

Zelensky said this new formation will combine the combat capability of the assault forces with the necessary unmanned component, artillery, and other assets to ensure the fastest response to Russia’s ongoing attacks.

Zelensky appointed “Hero of Ukraine” Brigadier General Dmytro Voloshyn to carry out the mission, noting that as commander of the 8th Airborne Assault Corps, Voloshyn brings direct frontline experience into the new branch to shape its organization and deployment.

Other Topics of Interest

Russian-Occupied Oleshky Cut Off From Food, Medicine for Over a Month

Around 2,000 people remain in Oleshky itself, while about 6,000 people, including at least 150 children, are still living across the wider occupied community.

Recent Ukrainian operations

The General Staff of the AFU reported on July 4 that defense forces struck a Russian helicopter in the Sea of Azov, and additionally struck a railway bridge near Stanytsia Luhanska, reportedly used by Russian forces for transporting personnel and equipment, was targeted.

On July 5, Ukrainian forces launched a precision strike on the “Rubikon” UAV training center located in the Lazurnyi neighborhood of Pokrovsk, eliminating an estimated 10-15 Russian personnel, destroying drone equipment, and hitting ammunition caches that reportedly contained toxic chemicals.

The strike followed an ongoing 40-day operation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) targeting Russian logistics, fuel depots, and drone command posts across occupied territories, including Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

The AFU recorded 233 combat engagements over the course of July 9, reporting that Russian forces had carried out 57 airstrikes, launched 167 guided bombs, used 6,282 kamikaze drones and conducted 2,239 shelling attacks against Ukrainian positions and civilian settlements.

Most recently, Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Oleksandr Syrsky reported that Russia‘s large-scale offensive in 2026 has failed to achieve its objectives despite Moscow’s significant advantage in manpower and equipment.