Zelenskyy names new chief of general staff to enhance Ukraine's combat effectiveness

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo)

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday appointed Andrii Hnatov as the new chief of the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces, as the country looks to restructure and strengthen its military while its engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk region and facing increasing pressure in Donetsk.

Hnatov replaced Anatoliy Barhylevych, who held the position since February 2024. The appointment was announced by the general staff via its Telegram channel Sunday.

“We are systematically transforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine to enhance their combat effectiveness,” Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.

Barhylevych will now serve as the general inspector of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. Umerov emphasized that Barhylevych would “remain part of the team,” overseeing military standards and strengthening discipline in the army.

Oleksandr Syrskyi remains in place as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.

Zelenskyy has made frequent personnel changes within the Ukrainian government and military since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

This change in personnel comes as fighting continues in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine’s General Staff said that Ukrainian troops had been involved in eight combat clashes on Sunday.

Ukraine’s army stunned Russia in August last year by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land, but Ukraine’s forces are now in retreat — meaning Ukraine has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia. On Friday, Russia claimed control of Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine had occupied in the Kursk region.

Ukraine is also battling under growing pressure in its eastern Donetsk region, where Russian troops have been advancing for months.