Amid growing speculation of a resolution on the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Major General Andrii Hnatov as the Chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces to replace Lieutenant General Anatolii Barhylevych.
The decrees to dismiss Barhylevych and appoint Hnatov, published on the presidential website, did not specify the reasons for the replacement. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov wrote on Facebook that the reshuffle in the armed forces aims to enhance their combat effectiveness.
“We are systematically transforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine to enhance their combat effectiveness,” Umerov said in a Facebook post, applauding a promotion that he said came at his recommendation.
Umerov noted that Hnatov has more than 27 years of military experience, having previously commanded a marine brigade, the troops of Operational Command East, and the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The statement reflects that the Ukrainian government, led by Zelensky, is not happy with the performance of the leadership of their armed forces.
According to a statement by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Barhylevych has been appointed chief inspector of the Ministry, with the mission of ensuring compliance with military standards and strengthening discipline within the armed forces.
Barhylevych started in February 2024 to serve as the Chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces.
More than three years into the full-scale war, Ukraine is slowly withdrawing on multiple fronts amid a critical manpower shortage. Kyiv is trying to modernise the army in an attempt to solve long-standing issues, such as command culture and resource management.
Drawing on the experience of NATO partners, Ukraine is currently trying to implement a corps system instead of a brigade one, in an effort to improve cohesion.
“Transformation continues,” Umerov wrote in the same Facebook post.
Military analysts estimate that about 880,000 people currently serve in the Ukrainian armed forces.
Despite the wartime challenges, the country has implemented changes to shed the Soviet legacy and make its military more efficient, appointing younger commanders with combat experience and supporting innovations. Last year, Ukraine introduced a dedicated unmanned systems force.
At the start of this year, Ukrainian military officials said the country would move away from its brigades-based system towards a “corps” system of larger units, aiming to improve coordination among its forces spread along more than 1,000 km of frontline and speed up decision-making.
Recently, last week, Ukraine failed to keep the largest town that Ukraine had occupied in Russia’s Kursk region, another gain in Russia’s offensive to push Ukrainian forces out of their territory.
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Meanwhile, Ukraine’s northern city of Chernihiv was struck by multiple Russian drones in overnight attacks, according to the head of the Chernihiv City Military Administration, Dmytro Bryzhynskyi.
Russian drones hit residential high-rise buildings, causing a fire that rescuers put out. Also, in the Chernihiv region, a Russian ballistic missile reportedly crashed outside the border town of Semenivka, near Russia, causing a partial power outage, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The decision to replace Lieutenant General Anatolii Barhylevych may have been brought due to the recent backlash faced by the Ukrainian army. Keeping the upper hand on the Battlefield is imperative to negotiate better diplomatically, which Ukraine looks to lose to Russia.
