Ukraine’s sweeping reshuffle of its senior military leadership is continuing. After the dismissal of former commander-in-chief Alexander Syrsky, Chief of the General Staff Andrey Gnatov has also lost his post. Major General Igor Skibyuk will replace him, Vladimir Zelensky announced on July 22.

According to Zelensky, Skibyuk’s appointment was agreed with the participation of the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Mikhail Drapaty, and acting Defense Minister Yevgeny Khmara.

Skibyuk had previously served as deputy chief of the Ukrainian General Staff.

The personnel changes come amid a broader overhaul of Ukraine’s government and military command. On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada approved the appointment of 16 ministers, while the posts of defense minister and foreign minister remained vacant.

Following the dismissal of Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, rallies in his support were held in Kiev and several other Ukrainian cities. At the same time, protesters also demonstrated against Syrsky.

On the evening of July 21, Zelensky announced Syrsky’s removal and named Drapaty as the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army.

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov later delivered a sharply critical assessment of Drapaty, describing him as a committed Bandera supporter and a Nazi.