Yurii Harkavyi

Yurii Harkavyi
Native name
Юрій Васильович Гаркавий
NicknamesSkala; Skelia ("The Rock")
Born1989 (age 36–37)
AllegianceUkraine
Branch
Ukrainian Ground Forces
Rank
Lieutenant colonel
Commands425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skala"
Conflicts
Russo-Ukrainian War:
AwardsHero of Ukraine
Order of Danylo Halytsky
Order of Danylo Halytsky
Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, III class Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, II class Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, I class

Yurii Vasylovych Harkavyi (Ukrainian: Юрій Васильович Гаркавий; born 1989) is a Ukrainian military officer and lieutenant colonel in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He commands the 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skala". Harkavyi was awarded the title Hero of Ukraine in 2025 and has received all three classes of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky.[1][2][3][4][5]

Early service

Harkavyi was born in 1989.[1] He took part in the Anti-Terrorist Operation that took part during war in Donbas and later the Joint Forces Operation in eastern Ukraine. He served in Operational Command East of the Ukrainian Ground Forces and was an assistant to the commander.[1]

Military career

According to the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine, Harkavyi continued combat service on multiple sectors of the front after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.[1] A Pulitzer summary of The Wall Street Journal's reporting on Ukrainian units during the war stated that Harkavyi and a few dozen men began the invasion by ambushing armored columns and later operated with Ukraine's 93rd Brigade north of Barvinkove.[6]

The presidential office said in January 2025 that, in 2022, the unit under Harkavyi's command carried out reconnaissance and sabotage missions in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, and credited it with destroying more than 600 invading troops and over 50 armored vehicles. The same official profile stated that Harkavyi also took part in planning offensive and assault actions around Vodiane, Opytne, and Avdiivka.[7] The Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine states that Harkavyi commanded the 425th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion "Skala", and that he and the battalion fought in Kharkiv Oblast, including the liberation of Izium, as well as in the Volnovakha, Bakhmut, and Pokrovsk areas of Donetsk Oblast.[1]

Reuters reported in August 2023 that troops of the separate assault battalion "Skala" had entered Robotyne during the southern counteroffensive, while the Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine identifies Harkavyi as commander of the Skala battalion until January 2025.[8][1] By late September 2024, Ukrainian television identified him, then a lieutenant colonel, as commander of the 425th Separate Assault Battalion "Skala" on the Pokrovsk front.[9]

The Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine describes Harkavyi as commander of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skala" from January 2025.[1] On 4 November 2025, the presidential office said that he briefed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the situation around Pokrovsk as commander of the regiment.[10]

On 26 June 2026, Harkaviy was removed from his post for the duration of the investigation, following accusations of abuse and killings of recruits of the regiment.[11][12]

Awards

  • Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Gold Star (20 January 2025), for personal courage and heroism in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and for selfless service to the Ukrainian people.[2]
  • Order of Danylo Halytsky (17 April 2024), for personal courage and selflessness in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.[13]
  • Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 1st class (3 September 2023), for personal courage and selfless actions in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.[3]
  • Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 2nd class (20 June 2022), for personal courage and selfless actions in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath.[4]
  • Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, 3rd class (24 March 2022), for personal courage and selfless actions in defending the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Zhelezniak, M. H. (4 February 2025). "Гаркавий Юрій Васильович" [Harkavyi, Yurii Vasylovych]. Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Institute of Encyclopedic Research, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Про присвоєння Ю. Гаркавому звання Герой України" [On conferring the title Hero of Ukraine on Yu. Harkavyi]. President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 20 January 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №554/2023" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 554/2023]. President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №429/2022" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 429/2022]. President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 20 June 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №160/2022" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 160/2022]. President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 24 March 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  6. ↑ "Yaroslav Trofimov and James Marson of The Wall Street Journal". The Pulitzer Prizes. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  7. ↑ "Президент відзначив найвищими державними нагородами захисників і передав ордени рідним загиблих Героїв України" [The President presented the highest state awards to defenders and handed orders to the families of fallen Heroes of Ukraine]. President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 31 January 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  8. ↑ Smilianets, Vladyslav (26 August 2023). "Ukraine will speed up advance on southern front, commander says". Reuters. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  9. ↑ "Пекло на Покровському напрямку: інтенсивність ворожих штурмів не впала, але окупантів поменшало" [Hell on the Pokrovsk front: the intensity of enemy assaults has not fallen, but there are fewer occupiers]. TSN.ua (in Ukrainian). 27 September 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "Президент заслухав доповідь про ситуацію в районі Покровська та відзначив воїнів нагородами на пункті управління 7-го корпусу швидкого реагування ДШВ" [The President heard a report on the situation in the Pokrovsk area and presented awards to troops at the command post of the 7th Rapid Reaction Corps of the Air Assault Forces]. President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 4 November 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  11. ↑ "Командира 425 ОШП "Скеля" Гаркавого тимчасово відсторонили" [Commander of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment "Skelya" Harkaviy temporarily removed]. Апостроф (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  12. ↑ "Командира полку Скеля відсторонили від посади" [Skelya Regiment commander removed from post]. ua.korrespondent.net (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №231/2024" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 231/2024]. President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). 17 April 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
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