Ihor Voronchenko
Born	(1964-08-22) 22 August 1964 (age 59) Babai, Kharkiv Raion, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Ukraine
Service/branch	Ukrainian Ground Forces  Ukrainian Navy
Years of service	1980s–2020
Rank	Admiral (2018)
Commands held	Commander of the Ukrainian Navy (2016–2020[1]) Chief of the Main administration of personnel (2015–2016) Chief of the Coastal Defense Administration (2013–2015) 25th Regiment/501st Separate Mechanized Regiment (1998–2003)

Ihor Oleksandrovych Voronchenko (Ukrainian: Воронченко Ігор Олександрович; born 22 August 1964) is a Ukrainian admiral and a former commander of the Ukrainian Navy.^[2][1]

Before becoming commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Voronchenko held the staff position in General Staff, the position of chief of the Coastal Defense Administration (Ukrainian Navy), and was a commander of a former National Guard of Ukraine regiment that was later transformed into a battalion of Marine Infantry. Voronchenko served in Crimea starting in 1998.^[3]

Career

Voronchenko was born 22 August 1964 in the village of Babai in Kharkiv Raion.^[3][4]

After graduation from the Tashkent Higher Tank Command School Voronchenko was assigned to East-Germany where he was commander of a tank platoon until 1988.^[4] Voronchenko then became a commander of a tank company in the Belarusian Military District.^[4] After the collapse of the Soviet Union he returned to Ukraine and continued service in the National Guard of Ukraine in Kharkiv.^[4] Then he graduated from the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Starting in 1998, he served in Crimea on the post of commander of a National Guard regiment.^[4] And then became Crimea's chief of the Coastal Defense Administration of the Ukrainian Navy.^[4]

During the February/March 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea Voronchenko was captured and detained for 4 days in Crimea before being released on 27 March 2014.^[5][3]

Voronchenko was appointed acting commander of the Ukrainian Navy on 25 April 2016.^[6] And on 3 July 2016 President Petro Poroshenko appointed him as commander of the Ukrainian Navy.^[6] The same day Voronchenko was conferred the rank of Vice Admiral (on 25 April 2016 he held the rank of Lieutenant General).^[6] On 23 August 2018 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral.^[7] On 11 June 2020 President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Oleksiy Neizhpapa as commander of the Ukrainian Navy.^[1]

References