Kyivstar, Ukraine’s leading mobile operator, has announced that Volodymyr Lutchenko will become its chief operating officer (COO) on October 2, 2026. Lutchenko has led the company’s technical division since 2021. In the new role, he will oversee all of Kyivstar’s operations.
The company says the new position reflects growing demands on Kyivstar as its parent, Kyivstar Group Ltd., develops, scales up its digital ecosystem and takes on new technology projects. To keep pace, the operator is reworking its management model. Lutchenko’s remit will cover executing the business strategy, keeping the network reliable and uninterrupted, maintaining customer service quality, and driving operational efficiency and business resilience.
Oleksandr Komarov, president of Kyivstar Group Ltd., called the telecom business the foundation of the group’s ecosystem, since it is what allows new digital services to grow and scale. “It’s especially important for us not only to set ambitious plans but also to deliver on them quickly and well,” he said. That, according to Komarov, is why the group decided to strengthen operational management at Kyivstar.
Lutchenko has overseen Kyivstar’s technology development for more than five years. According to the company, as chief technology officer (CTO) he played a key role in making its infrastructure more reliable during the full-scale war. Under his leadership, the operator overhauled its network, power and security architecture, introduced multi-layer network redundancy and strengthened its cyber defenses.
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Over that time, Kyivstar significantly expanded its 4G coverage, completed its 3G shutdown, launched 5G pilots and modernized its infrastructure. It also gave subscribers direct satellite-to-smartphone connectivity through Starlink Direct to Cell. Lutchenko sees his job in the new role as making sure the company’s strategic priorities are delivered quickly and well. “A strategy only gains real value through results,” he noted.
Lutchenko has more than 30 years of experience in electronic communications and has won several international industry awards. In 2022, he was named Telco Executive of the Year at Network X and CTO of the Year at the Mobile Europe awards. A year later, he received the Crisis Response Award at the World Communication Awards, followed in 2024 by a GSMA Global Mobile Award for projects that improve network reliability.
Lutchenko’s appointment isn’t the only leadership change at Kyivstar in recent weeks. In early September, Maciej Wojtaszek, head of the operator’s audit commission, stepped down.
