© Reuters
Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the new chief of the General Staff was General Sirski’s choice and described him as “an experienced person who understands the goals of the war.”
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A day following replacing the commander of the Ukrainian army, President Volodymyr Zelensky also appointed a new commander of the General Staff.
This is a major general. Anatoly Barhilevich. He replaces Serhiy Shaptala.
In his evening address to Ukrainians on Friday, Zelensky described Barhilevich as “an experienced person who understands the tasks of this war and Ukrainian goals.”
The president said the appointment was made on the recommendation of new commander-in-chief Oleksandr Sirsky, who was appointed on Thursday to replace Gen. Valery Zaluzhny.
“It’s time for changes”: Zelensky announced the replacement of Zaluzhny
Barhilevich had previously served as commander of the Territorial Defense Forces, starting the war as Chief of Staff of the Eastern Group of Troops.
The territorial defense forces are made up of reservists and were created following the reform of the Ukrainian army in the middle of the last decade, when the conflict in Donbass escalated. The foreign legion of volunteer foreign citizens is also in the Territorial Defense Forces.
General Barkhilevych, 54, graduated from the National Defense University of Ukraine.
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