Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has replaced the head of the country’s army, Anatoliy Barhylevych.
Andrii Hnatov will now serve as the new Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, replacing Barhylevych, according to Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov.
Barhylevych had only taken up the role in February last year.
“We are systematically transforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine to enhance their combat effectiveness,” Umerov said, announcing the change on Sunday.
“This involves restructuring the command system and implementing clear standards.”
Umerov insisted that Barhylevych remains “part of the team”, adding that he has now been tasked with “reforming the main inspectorate”.
“His mission is to ensure compliance with military standards and strengthen discipline within the armed forces,” he added.
Zelenskyy has regularly reshuffled military leadership amid Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.
In other news, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has claimed that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, is “afraid” to tell U.S. President Donald Trump that he wants to continue the war.
Zelenskyy made this statement on Thursday evening, following Putin’s response to the ceasefire deal earlier in the day.
The Ukrainian president described Putin’s words as “very predictable” and “very manipulative.”
According to Zelenskyy, Russia’s president is preparing to reject the ceasefire proposal.
“Putin, of course, is afraid to say directly to President Trump that he wants to continue this war, he wants to kill Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy said.
“That’s why they in Moscow are framing the idea of silence with such preconditions that nothing will happen at all or that it will not happen for as long as possible.”
Zelenskyy added that while Ukraine does not “set conditions that complicate anything,” Russia does.
