President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to appoint Serhii Lysak, the current head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, as the new head of the Odesa City Military Administration, reports Ukrainska Pravda. Both the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne and the national 24/7 newscast have independently confirmed the appointment, citing their sources.

The official decrees establishing the Odesa City Military Administration and naming Lysak as its head were published on the website of the President on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 15. According to the decree, “Odesa City Military Administration of the Odesa district of Odesa Oblast shall be established pursuant to the Law of Ukraine On the Legal Regime of Martial Law.” The decree also instructs the General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Odesa Oblast State Administration to implement the measures required by the law governing martial law.

As Lysak moves to his new post, his duties in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast have been temporarily assigned to his deputy, Vladyslav Haivanenko, who previously headed the Kyivskyi district police department in Odesa.

Serhii Lysak, a brigadier general in the Security Service of Ukraine, has held key positions within the SBU, including leading the Zhytomyr Oblast office starting in 2020. On July 19, 2022, he was appointed head of the Security Service in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and on February 7, 2023, he became head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration. His appointment to Odesa follows President Zelensky’s announcement on October 14 of plans to establish a city military administration in Odesa.

Meanwhile, in Kharkiv Oblast, authorities have expanded the mandatory evacuation zone in the Kupiansk district in response to intensified Russian attacks. Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov stated on October 14 that the evacuation now covers 40 settlements, requiring the relocation of 601 children from 409 families to safer areas.

Military monitoring group DeepState reported on October 15 that Russian forces had captured the village of Myrne in Kupiansk district and were advancing toward Ivanivka. Kupiansk has remained closed to civilians since September 28 due to ongoing combat operations and threats from Russian sabotage units. DeepState noted that over recent weeks, Russian forces have gradually advanced, destroying some Ukrainian positions through artillery and drone strikes.