Ukraine's Zelensky appoints new chief of general staff 'to accelerate reforms'

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday appointed Major General Andriy Hnatov as chief of Ukraine's general staff, as Kiev seeks to accelerate military reform.

A decree published on the presidential website said that General Hnatov, a deputy chief of staff, would replace Lieutenant General Anatoliy Barhilevych, foreign media wrote, according to Telegraph.

"We are constantly changing the armed forces to make them even more combat-ready. To achieve that, we are changing the management system and setting clear standards," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said in a statement.

Hnatov has 27 years of military experience, having risen through the ranks from commander of a marine brigade to leading troops in the eastern Donetsk region.

Barhilevych will now oversee military standards and strengthen discipline in the army, the minister said.

With the war against Russia in its fourth year, Ukraine is seeking to restructure and strengthen its military while fighting a much larger enemy.

Military analysts estimate that around 880,000 people currently serve in Ukraine's armed forces. /Telegraph/