KYIV  –  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dimissed a top general after public criticism about excessive casualties and accusations of incompetence. Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol had been in the post of commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since earlier this year. Brig Gen Andriy Hnatov has now been appointed in his stead.

Mr Zelensky did not give a reason for his decision, which he announced during his nightly video address. However, only hours before, the chief of staff of the Azov Brigade, Maj Bohdan Krotevych, filed a complaint to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), alleging that Gen Sodol “had more Ukrainian soldiers killed than any Russian general”.

Maj Krotevych wrote on Telegram that Gen Sodol was “not being investigated for the loss of regions and dozens of cities and the loss of thousands of soldiers”. “Sometimes it seems to me that the world sends us scum [to fight against] in order to unite us,” Maj Krotevych wrote. “And the whole military understand who I’m talking about because 99% of the military hate him for what he does.”

Maj Krotevych’s post on Telegram was viewed over 800,000 times. He later praised the appointment of Gen Hnatov, saying he was a “very worthy officer”. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Gen Sodol took part in the defence of the city of Mariupol and battles near the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha. Both locations are now under Russian control.

Gen Sodol was made commander of the Joint Forces since February 2024, when Oleksandr Syrskyy was appointed commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Ukraine’s military hierarchy has undergone considerable changes in recent months, as Russian forces make slow but steady advances in the east of the country.

Since the beginning of 2024, Kyiv’s under-resourced forces have been struggling to hold the line. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have in recent months upped their attacks on Russian territory. Kyiv has carried out multiple attacks on Russian oil refineries this year, arguing they are fair targets as they fuel Moscow’s military. And Moscow blamed Ukraine for a missile strike on occupied Crimea last Sunday, which officials say killed four people and injured over 100 more. (BBC)

Photo: Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol. (HB) …[+]