No decision yet on change of Ukrainian commanders says Umerov
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has said that no decision has been made on a possible reshuffle among the ranks of Ukrainian commanders, the Interfax-Ukraine agency reported on Nov. 21.
During a briefing with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Kyiv on Nov. 21, Umerov said that "the topic of changing commanders goes through all the parameters that we discuss within our internal military perimeter."
“We’re doing everything possible to improve efficiency,” the minister said.
“If such a decision occurs, we will always be very open in communicating it."
On Nov. 13, news outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported that Umerov was preparing a motion to dismiss three commanders of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Commander of the Tavria Operational and Strategic Group of Troops Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the Armed Forces Medical Forces Tetiana Ostashchenko, and Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Nayev.
Later that day, the press service of the Ministry of Defense stated on Facebook that, "the information published by several media outlets is not true."
However, less than a week later, on Nov. 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dismissal of Ostashchenko. She was the first female commander of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since July 30, 2021.
The head of the Main Military Clinical Hospital in Kyiv — Major General of Medical Service Anatolii Kazmirchuk — was appointed as the new commander. He is an Honored Doctor of Ukraine, Doctor of Medical Sciences, and headed the Hospital since 2012.
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