Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently appointed General Andrii Hnatov, who had been in charge of the eastern front response, as the new Chief of Staff.
The Office of the Ukrainian President announced on the 16th (local time) via its website that President Zelensky appointed Hnatov as the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
The new Chief of Staff Hnatov is known to have played a key role in reclaiming the southern Kherson region from Russian forces. He was appointed as the eastern region commander in mid-last year and has recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov explained via Facebook that Hnatov's appointment as Chief of Staff is part of military reform. His predecessor, Anatolii Barilevich, is set to move to the position of Chief Inspector at the Ministry of National Defense to oversee and monitor compliance with military-related standards and discipline.
This appointment occurred as the Ukrainian military struggles significantly against a major offensive by Russian and North Korean forces at the western front in Kursk. According to The New York Times (NYT), more than 20% of Ukraine's territory is currently occupied by Russian forces. The Ukrainian military launched a surprise counteroffensive last August, briefly controlling about 1,300 square kilometers of land in Russia's Kursk Oblast, but the area of occupied territory has now reduced to approximately 80 square kilometers.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian media Kyiv Independent reported that the Ukrainian military admitted on the 16th to withdrawing troops from Kursk in this situation.
On the 11th, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposal suggested by the United States during a high-level delegation meeting held in Saudi Arabia, urging Russia to accept it.