Mykhailo Kutsyn


Mykhailo Mykolayovych Kutsyn is a former Chief of the General Staff and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He was appointed Chief of the General Staff by acting president Oleksandr Turchynov on 28 February 2014. Kutsyn was dismissed of this post by president Petro Poroshenko on 3 July 2014. Poroshenko thanked Kutsyn and stated he became shell-shocked on 2 July 2014 while combating the 2014 insurgency in Donbass. He had a concussion and was staying at a hospital.
A graduate of tank school, Kutsyn served with the Soviet Army in Kharkiv, Belarus and Germany. He enlisted in the Ukrainian Ground Forces after the nation gained independence in 1991, and was head of the Western Operational Command for six years, before being appointed Deputy Minister of Defence in March 2010.

Awards and decorations