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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) \u2014 Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday appointed Andrii Hnatov as the new Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine\u2019s Armed Forces, as the country looks to restructure and strengthen its military amid ongoing combat in Russia\u2019s Kursk region<\/a> and increasing pressure in Donetsk.<\/p>\n Hnatov replaced Anatoliy Barhylevych, who held the position since February 2024. The appointment was announced by the General Staff via its Telegram channel on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are systematically transforming the Armed Forces of Ukraine to enhance their combat effectiveness,\u201d Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.<\/p>\n Barhylevych will now serve as the General Inspector of Ukraine\u2019s Defense Ministry. Umerov emphasized that Barhylevych would \u201cremain part of the team,\u201d overseeing military standards and strengthening discipline in the army.<\/p>\n Oleksandr Syrskyi remains in place as Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine\u2019s Armed Forces.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy has made frequent personnel changes within the Ukrainian government and military since Russia launched its full-scale invasion<\/a> in 2022.<\/p>\n This change in personnel comes as fighting continues in Russia\u2019s Kursk region, where Ukraine\u2019s General Staff said that Ukrainian troops had been involved in eight combat clashes on Sunday.<\/p>\n Ukraine’s army stunned Russia<\/a> in August last year by attacking across the border and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of land, but Ukraine\u2019s forces are now in retreat\u2014meaning Ukraine has all but lost a valuable bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia<\/a>. On Friday, Russia claimed control of Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine had occupied in the Kursk region.<\/p>\n Ukraine is also battling under growing pressure in its eastern Donetsk region, where Russian troops have been advancing for months.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n