Eduard Khoroshun’s professional career has been dedicated to military medicine, from serving in medical units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and military hospitals to leading the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region in Kharkiv during the full-scale war. His combat experience includes providing medical support to Ukrainian service members in Crimea and in the ATO/JFO area, including during the withdrawal from the Ilovaisk encirclement and the defence of Donetsk Airport, as well as the defence of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Poltava regions from 2022 to the present.
Early Life and Career
Graduated from Dnipropetrovsk Medical Academy in 1996. He continued his education at the Military Medical Institute of the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy, graduating in 1999.
In 2002, he earned a Master’s degree in Medicine, specializing in “General Medicine,” at the Ukrainian Military Medical Academy in Kyiv.
In 2025, he graduated from the National Academy of the National Guard of Ukraine with a Master’s degree in “Military Management” and the qualification of an operational-level officer.
He has served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 1999. He began his service in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. An officer who progressed through every level of the military command structure, gaining practical experience at each stage of management — from commander of a medical company dressing platoon to Head of the Central Military Medical Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In 2011, he took part in the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from Libya during the armed conflict.
In 2021, he earned the academic degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences after defending his dissertation in “Social Medicine.” He is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Surgery No. 1 of Kharkiv National Medical University.
Beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian War
In spring 2014, following the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, he remained loyal to his military oath and organized an orderly withdrawal to mainland Ukraine together with his personnel. He subsequently headed the Emergency and Endoscopic Surgery Clinic at the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Southern Region in Odesa.
From the summer of 2014, he was directly involved in providing medical support to Ukrainian forces in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) area. As Chief Surgeon of the 61st Mobile Military Hospital in the Ilovaisk area, operating under extremely challenging battlefield conditions, limited resources, and a mass influx of wounded personnel, under his leadership and with his direct participation, the hospital staff performed 254 surgical procedures over three days, saving the lives of a significant number of service members.
Later, as Head of the Medical Service of Sector B, he oversaw medical planning and support for combat operations, including operations to hold positions and conduct the organized withdrawal of units from the Donetsk Airport area. He ensured the continuous operation of the medical treatment and evacuation system, the timely evacuation of wounded personnel, and their referral to the appropriate next level of medical care.
In 2017, he led the medical support of forces and assets in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area, ensuring effective management of the medical service, the sustained operation of the medical treatment and evacuation system, coordination among subordinate units, and cooperation with other components of the defence forces.
As Head of the Central Military Medical Directorate and Chief of the Medical Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, he oversaw the development and adaptation of the military medical support system to the conditions of modern warfare, introduced modern approaches to medical treatment and evacuation, and improved the efficiency of medical resource utilization.
Since September 2020, as Head of the Military Medical Clinical Center of the Northern Region (Kharkiv), he ensured its readiness to operate under the conditions of a full-scale war. Under his leadership, the facility maintained resilient operations amid intense workloads, a mass influx of wounded personnel, and limited resources, while ensuring a high standard of medical care for service members.
Full-Scale Invasion
Since 2022, during Russia’s full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine, he has demonstrated a high level of professional expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership capability in organizing medical support for the armed forces.
He ensured the effective operation of the medical treatment and evacuation system under his command amid intense combat, mass-casualty incidents (MASCAL), and limited resources. He organized continuity of medical care at every stage — from stabilization points to specialized medical facilities.
Under his leadership, modern approaches to managing casualty flows were introduced and medical evacuation routes were optimized, significantly reducing the time to qualified medical care and improving survival rates among the wounded.
He ensured effective interagency coordination with units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, other components of the security and defence sector, and the civilian healthcare system, enabling the medical system to expand its capacity under peak operational demands.
He initiated and implemented management decisions on resource redistribution, strengthening critical areas, and introducing elements of NATO standards, including the Role 1–3 and TCCC frameworks, which improved the quality of medical care.
He conducts research and analytical work aimed at consolidating lessons learned from medical support operations in modern warfare and developing practical recommendations to improve the system.
He is recognized for a high level of personal responsibility, strong leadership qualities, and the ability to make effective decisions under conditions of uncertainty and time constraints.
Academic Work
In addition to his practical and leadership work in military medicine, Colonel of the Medical Service Eduard Khoroshun is actively engaged in research. In 2021, he earned the academic degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences in the field of “Social Medicine”, with the findings of his dissertation having practical significance for improving the system of medical support for the armed forces.
He is the author of scientific research in the field of surgical care in combat conditions and holds patents for utility models aimed at improving the effectiveness of medical treatment and evacuation and enhancing treatment outcomes for wounded personnel.
In 2024, he became a laureate of the Boris Paton National Prize of Ukraine as part of an author team for the work “Multimodal Technologies in Thoracoabdominal Surgery in Modern Warfare,” which is of significant importance for the development of military medical science and practice and aims to reduce mortality and improve outcomes in the treatment of combat trauma.
His research activities are closely integrated with his practical work, ensuring the implementation of modern, evidence-based approaches within the medical support system of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Recognition
For personal courage and heroism demonstrated in defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Colonel of the Medical Service Eduard Khoroshun was awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine with the Order of the Gold Star (28.02.2022). He was awarded the Order of Danylo Halytsky (22.01.2015) and the honorary title “Honoured Healthcare Worker of Ukraine” (12.10.2017). Laureate of the Boris Paton National Prize of Ukraine (2024). Recognized at the regional level as an honorary citizen of Kharkiv Oblast (since 2024) and an honorary citizen of the Lozova Urban Territorial Community (since 2025).
