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 confirmed through presidential decree No. 170/2025, marking a significant step in Ukraine’s ongoing military restructuring.
Hnatov, who previously served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff, now takes on the responsibility of improving the efficiency of military command. His role includes overseeing the reorganisation of the Armed Forces, introducing a corps-based structure, and streamlining decision-making processes within the Supreme Commander-in-Chief’s Staff. He will also ensure that combat experience is effectively incorporated into strategic planning and military operations.
Lieutenant General Anatolii Barhylevych, the former Chief of the General Staff, has been reassigned as the Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Defence. His new role focuses on overseeing military reforms, ensuring compliance with regulations, and assessing the effectiveness of defence policies.
Hnatov brings extensive experience to his new position. He graduated from the Kharkiv Tank Institute in 2001 and served in Crimea before Russia’s annexation of the peninsula. Following the occupation, he played a key role in reforming Ukraine’s Marine Corps. From 2018 to 2021, he commanded the 36th Separate Marine Brigade.
During Russia’s full scale invasion, he was Deputy Commander of the Operational Command “South” and contributed to the defence of Mykolaiv. He was promoted to Brigadier General in June 2022. In early 2023, Hnatov led military operations in Bakhmut, working alongside Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was later appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Hnatov subsequently became head of Operational Command “East” and later Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
His promotion comes as Ukraine continues to adapt its military strategy in response to Russia’s ongoing aggression.
