The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, announced on his Telegram channel that a change in the leadership of the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was made on a recommendation from Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. In a formal statement, Zelensky confirmed that Major General Anatoly Kazmirchuk was appointed head of the National Military Medical Clinical Center, also known as the Main Military Clinical Hospital in Kyiv. He succeeds Major General Tatyana Ostashchenko, who previously led the medical service. The president stressed that this move aims to elevate the level of medical support for soldiers and to spread the proven effectiveness of specific units across the entire defense force.
On November 17, Zelensky dismissed Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Alexander Tarasovsky. Earlier, on November 13, the Ministry of Defense signaled its intention to dismiss three senior commanders of the Armed Forces, a decision that followed the removal of Viktor Khorenko, commander of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces. These leadership changes underscore a broader effort to refresh command among Ukraine’s security and defense structures.
The situation also involved personnel shifts within the ministry. Previously, the press service of the Ministry of Defense had been led by a figure known for a background in scientific writing, indicating an emphasis on communications alongside the reform of command roles. The sequence of events reflects ongoing attempts to align high-level leadership with strategic aims for medical readiness and operational effectiveness across Ukraine’s armed forces.