Dismissal of Lt Gen Yuriy Sodol comes amid series of personnel changes by Ukrainian president

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has replaced a high-ranking army official leading troops in the country’s embattled east who has been accused of incompetence and abuse of power during the 28-month war with Russia

Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, gave no reason for the dismissal of Lt Gen Yuriy Sodol as head of the Joint Forces Command of Ukraine’s armed forces. He said Sodol had been replaced by Brig Gen Andriy Hnatov in the post, which involves strategic planning of operations.