New Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Hnatov: What is known about the combat general.

President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Andriy Hnatov as the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on March 16. In fact, after the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, Hnatov became the second key figure in the military hierarchy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

'Mr. Hnatov has over 27 years of experience in the army, having served in key positions - from commander of a marine brigade to Commander of Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and troops of the operational command 'East,' said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

The General Staff stated that Hnatov was tasked with improving the efficiency of troop management.

'In order to improve the quality of troop management, by the decree of the President of Ukraine - the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Major General Andriy Hnatov, who previously held the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has been appointed as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Major General Andriy Hnatov has been tasked with enhancing the efficiency of the management vertical of the Armed Forces, particularly in the process of reorganization and implementation of the corps structure, the operational speed of decision-making and execution by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters, as well as the realization of combat experience in planning and managing troops,' the General Staff's message said.

What is known about Andriy Hnatov?

Andriy Hnatov is a Major General whose career is closely linked to the marine infantry, although he graduated from the Kharkiv Tank School in 2001. He was among those marines who remained loyal to their oath and exited the occupied Crimea.

From 2016 to 2018, Hnatov was the Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the 36th Separate Marine Brigade, and in 2018 he took command of this brigade after the creation of the Marine Corps Command of Ukraine. He led it until 2021 and subsequently held key command positions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

During the full-scale invasion, Hnatov played an important role in the defense of Mykolaiv, and in the autumn of 2022, he was one of the main strategists of the successful counteroffensive in Kherson Oblast, serving as the Chief of Staff of the Operational Command 'South.' In June 2022, he was awarded the rank of Brigadier General, and later headed the Operational Command 'Primorye,' responsible for the defense of Odesa Oblast.

In the spring of 2023, Hnatov was tasked with managing the defense of Bakhmut - one of the hottest fronts in the war, falling within the area of responsibility of the Operational Command 'Khortytsia.'

In April 2024, Hnatov commanded troops of the Operational Command 'East.' On June 24, 2024, President Volodymyr Zelensky entrusted him with one of the most responsible positions - the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Then in the summer of 2024, Hnatov, in his new position, gave an exclusive interview to 'Glavkom.' He mentioned that he constantly communicates with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and their relationship is official-business-like, as it should be between a superior and a subordinate.

Additionally, the Major General noted at that Time that in modern battles, almost no defensive properties of the terrain 'work' anymore, as modern reconnaissance means 'see' a person practically everywhere, while the enemy employs powerful means of destruction. He emphasized that it is wrong to consider that previously the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not care about preserving the lives of our soldiers. According to him, this has always been important for the command.

Awards of Andriy Hnatov

Hnatov holds the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree, the Cross of Military Merit, and the Medal 'For Military Service to Ukraine.' Like almost every top Ukrainian military officer, he is under investigation by the opposing side: the 'Prosecutor General's Office of the DPR' in 2019 accused him of committing a terrorist act due to shelling of Horlivka.

Military Ranks of Hnatov

• Lieutenant Colonel (as of 03.07.2015).
• Colonel (as of 30.04.2018).
• Brigadier General (since 17.06.2022).
• Major General (23.08.2024).

It is worth noting that on February 26, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Andriy Hnatov from the position of Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

On February 27, Rustem Umerov announced that Major General Andriy Hnatov had become Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to the Defense Minister, in this new position, Major General Andriy Hnatov will be responsible for generating forces and cooperation with partners.

On March 16, Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Andriy Hnatov as the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.