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Exclusive interview with the Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko to Interfax-Ukraine (Part 1) 

Brigadier General, Hero of Ukraine Oleksandr Pivnenko , was appointed to the position a year and a half ago, becoming the youngest commander of the National Guard in the history of independent Ukraine. He is 38. However, Pivenko is no novice in military affairs: he has a military education, served in the Omega special forces unit, took an active part in the A nti-terrorist Operation (A TO ) /J oint Forces Operation (J FO ) and, of course, helped repel the Russian invasion during the full-scale invasion, defending Kharkiv region and Bakhmut. Pivenko commanded a brigade and was the head of the territorial administration. He ushered in a period of change and innovation for the National Guard . In the interview, the National Guard commander spoke about many aspects of the war, including the situation at the front, the operational situation, replenishment of brigades, AWOL, recruiting, weapons and technologies.

Interview by Valeria Proshchenko, Oksana Gerontieva

Brigades, the front and challenges

It's been about a year and a half since you were appointed commander of the National Guard. Back then, you said that your main task was to put the offensive brigades into action. What has changed since then and what is the National Guard doing now?

The National Guard is a military formation with law enforcement functions. Law enforcement functions were and are the following: protection of critical infrastructure facilities, ensuring public safety, escorting are important tasks both in wartime and in peacetime. This will continue to be the case.

Our military component is the