Serhiy Hayduk

Before becoming commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Hayduk held the staff position in charge of anti-submarine warfare,^[2] the position of chief of search and rescue operations,^[3] and was the first deputy chief of staff of the navy.^[4] In 2007, he prevented an environmental disaster from ensuing when the leaky Russian vessel Odisk arrived in Crimea from Sierra Leone carrying ferroalloys.^[5] He was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in 2011.^[6]

Hayduk was appointed acting commander on 2 March 2014, and commander on 7 March 2014 following the defection of Denis Berezovsky during the Russian annexation of Crimea.^[7] Berezovsky had been dismissed for "high treason" after serving only a single day as commander.^[7] On 3 March 2014, Berezovsky, together with several Russian cossacks, had visited high-ranking officers of the Ukrainian Navy and asked them to change allegiance and side with the Russian armed forces in Crimea. After a speech by Hayduk, all the officers rejected the proposal and started to sing the Ukrainian national anthem.^[8]

On 19 March 2014, pro-Russian forces took over the Ukrainian Navy's headquarters at Sevastopol and imprisoned its newly appointed commander-in-chief, Hayduk.^[9] Hayduk, along with seven other hostages, was held by the pro-Russian so-called "Crimean Security Service" and most of these hostages were tortured while in captivity according to Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group.^[10] The hostages were released by order of the Russian Defense Minister on 20 March 2014.^[11]

On 23 August 2014, Hayduk was promoted to vice admiral.^[12]

Hayduk was dismissed as commander of the Ukrainian navy by President Poroshenko on 15 April 2016.^[1] He was succeeded by Ihor Voronchenko.^[13]

• 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine
• Hajduk
• List of kidnappings