Zelensky calls for ‘rapid changes’ after sacking military commander

Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded rapid operational changes to “medical support” for Ukraine’s troops after sacking a leading military commander.

The Ukrainian president signed off on the dismissal of Maj Gen Tetiana Ostashchenko as commander of the Armed Forces Medical Forces following criticism over the poor quality of supplies available to soldiers.

The move comes amid a mounting row between the country’s politicians and armed forces.

“There is little time left to wait for results. Quick action is needed for forthcoming changes,” Mr Zelensky said, announcing the leadership change late on Sunday.

“This has been repeatedly discussed in society, in particular in the community of our combat medics – a fundamentally new level of medical support for our military is needed,” he added.

Mr Zelensky said there was a need for improved tourniquets, full digitalisation and better communication.

‘Simply no place for such problems’

Maj Gen Ostashchenko’s removal was announced after Mr Zelensky met Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defence minister, and coincided with debate over the slow progress made by Ukrainian forces in the south and east during a months-long counter-offensive.

Mr Umerov wrote that the shake-up required digitisation of tactical medicine and better rotation of servicemen, in a post on the Telegram social media app.

“There is simply no place for such problems as subpar tourniquets,” he said.

Maj Gen Anatoly Kazmirchuk, the head of Kyiv’s main military clinic, was promoted to lead Ukraine’s medical military forces.

Sources in Ukraine have previously told The Telegraph that combat medics often suffer from poor training, with tourniquets often applied unnecessarily, which can lead to unneeded amputations.

Some of the kit used by Ukraine’s medics is also considered substandard, including tactical first aid kits purchased by China.

Rina Reznik, a combat medic with Ukraine’s Azov brigade, said the move to appoint Maj Gen Kazmirchuk was “not a productive decision”.

“I wanted a charismatic leader as the commander of the medical forces,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“But I hope the new commander will at least be careful in his decisions and actions and will rely on the military medical community.”

‘There are still no standards of quality’

Maj Gen Ostashchenko’s dismissal came a week after a Ukrainian news outlet suggested her removal was imminent following consultations with paramedics and other officials responsible for providing support to the military.

In July, the opposition MP Solomiia Bobrovska, a member of the Ukrainian parliament’s national security committee, accused the country’s medical forces of not purchasing a single first aid kit this year.

An investigation by the committee found that they had relied on Western donations, which were often not quality-checked before being sent to the front lines.

Some pieces of kit were found to be defective or even beyond their expiry date.

Ms Bobrovska said at the time: “There are still no standards of quality requirements for Ukrainian tactical first aid kits.”

Corruption crackdown

Separately on Monday, Ukraine sacked its two most senior cyber security officials as part of an anti-corruption investigation.

Yurii Shchyhol, the head of the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP), and his deputy, Viktor Zhora, were dismissed over their alleged part in the embezzlement of $1.72 million (£1.37 million) between 2020 and 2022.

They are suspected of involvement in a six-person plot to buy software at an inflated price from two companies allegedly under their control in a sale that had been closed to other bidders, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau said.

The SSSCIP is responsible for government communications and defending Ukraine from cyber attacks.

Mr Zelensky has made cracking down on alleged corruption a cornerstone of his leadership in an effort to convince European Union member states that Ukraine is worthy of joining the bloc.

Tensions between Ukraine’s political and military leadership have spilled out into the open this month after Gen Valery Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, said at the beginning of November that the war had reached a stalemate.

Gen Zaluzhnyi said Kyiv required more sophisticated technology to break the deadlock.

But he was publicly derided by Mr Zelensky, who rejected the assessment and warned it would only “ease the work of the aggressor” and generate “panic” amongst Kyiv’s Western backers.