Zelensky appoints new chief of General Staff to accelerate Ukraine’s military reforms

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Andriy Hnatov to be the new chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to the General Staff’s Telegram channel.

Hnatov was appointed deputy chief of the General Staff in late February. Before that, he spent eight months as commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces, RBC-Ukraine notes.

In his new role, Hnatov will be tasked with “improving the efficiency of the Armed Forces' command structure, particularly during the reorganization and transition to a corps-based system, ensuring faster decision-making and implementation by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and applying combat experience to military planning and command,” the statement said.

Lieutenant General Anatolii Barhylevych, who previously headed the General Staff, will become the Chief Inspector of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. He will be responsible for “overseeing ongoing military reforms, ensuring compliance with laws and decisions within the Defense Ministry, and drawing on his extensive leadership experience gained in the Armed Forces,” the General Staff wrote.