Badly Considered In The Battlefield, President Zelensky Removed General Holder Of The 'Hero Of Ukraine' Title From His Position

Lt. Gen. Yurii Idol with President Zelensky. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday announced that he removed the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol, after reports emerged that he had performed poorly in the 28-month war against Russia.

Speaking in the video of his evening address, President Zelensky did not reveal the reason for the removal of this senior general.

President Zelensky then appointed Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov in the post, which involved planning strategic operations.

The dismissal of Sodol, one of a series of personnel changes, following the issuance of a letter from the respected head of Ukraine's Azov regiment, Bohdan Krotovych, in which he alleged that Sodol's actions had led to a serious military setback.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Kriotevych did not name General Sodol, but said an unnamed general "has killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general."

"What I care about is that battalion commanders and combat brigades are on trial for missing observation posts, but a general is not on trial for losing territory, dozens of cities and thousands of troops," Krotovych wrote.

"All military personnel now understand who I'm talking about because 99 percent of the military hate what they're doing."

Ukrainska news media Pravda, citing a leaked report, said criminal complaints had been filed regarding General Sodol, who was promoted earlier this year, although did not identify him. It said Krotovych was willing to testify against him.

Citing France 24, Lt. Gen. Sodol, who was awarded the 'Hero of Ukraine' award, is a former Marine Corps Commander and 2014 battle veteran.

His appointment in early February coincided with a number of other top military officials, including the Ukrainian Military Commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky. He was appointed to replace General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Hnatov has served as deputy commander of the southern theater of operations since 2022. He played a major role in reclaiming much of the southern Kherson region from Russian colonialists.

In the spring of 2023, he led the Bakhmut defense in eastern Ukraine, a city that eventually fell to Russian troops after months of fierce fighting.

Krotovych, in a post on social media following the president's announcement, described Brigadier General Hnatov as a "very meritorious officer".

With Russian troops progressing and slowly advancing through eastern Ukraine in recent months, the military has seen considerable changes.