Zelenskyy Appoints New Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Major General Andrii Hnatov as the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The decision was formalized through presidential decree No. 170/2025.

Hnatov, who previously served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, is tasked with enhancing the efficiency of the military’s command structure.

This includes overseeing the ongoing reorganization efforts, implementing a corps-based structure, streamlining decision-making processes within the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff, and integrating combat experience into strategic planning and military operations.

Lieutenant General Anatolii Barhylevych, who previously held the position, has been reassigned as the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Defense. His new role involves overseeing reform implementation within the armed forces, ensuring compliance with military regulations, and assessing the effectiveness of defense policies.

Hnatov has extensive military experience. A graduate of the Kharkiv Tank Institute in 2001, he served in Crimea before playing a key role in the reformation of the Ukrainian Marine Corps following Russia’s annexation of the peninsula.

From 2018 to 2021, he commanded the 36th Separate Marine Brigade. During Russia’s full-scale invasion, he served as Deputy Commander of the Operational Command “South” and was involved in the defense of Mykolaiv. In June 2022, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

In early 2023, Hnatov was responsible for military operations in Bakhmut, working closely with then-Commander of the Ground Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Following Syrskyi’s promotion to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Hnatov was appointed head of the Operational Command “East” and later Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.