Zelensky sacks one of his top military commanders after he was accused of 'killing more Ukrainians than Russians' and 'losing entire regions' with his war tactics

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked one of his top military commanders following reports criticising his performance over 28 months of war.

Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol, the commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine's Armed Forces, was one of several named in a reshuffle amid criticism of Kyiv's military leadership.

A letter by the head of Ukraine's revered Azov regiment, Bohdan Krotevych, blamed an unnamed general for serious military setbacks as Ukraine tries to turn the tide on Russia's gruelling invasion.

Krotevych did not identify Sodol by name, but said on Telegram the commander 'has killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general'.

The changes reflect broader tension within the armed forces since Zelensky replaced commanding general, Valery Zaluzhny, with General Oleksandr Syrsky in February.

Sodol is to be replaced by Brigadier General Andrii Hnatov, judged a 'very good officer' in a subsequent statement from Krotevych.

Zelensky (pictured June 16 in Lucerne) announced Sodol would be replaced by Hnatov

Lieutenant General Yurii Sodol (pictured) was replaced by Hnatov after military setbacks

Ukrainian soldiers from 57th brigade ride a Swedish Combat Vehicle 90 near front line in Kharkiv region, June 18

Ukrainian artillerymen fire a howitzer towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the village of Lyptsi, on June 17

'I have decided to replace the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol, with Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov,' Zelensky said in his daily evening address on Monday.

Zelensky gave no details on the reasons for the dismissal from the post, which involves strategic planning.

But the change followed felt criticism from Krotevych, lamenting on Telegram that 'combat battalion and brigade commanders are put on trial for losing an observation post, but a general is not put on trial for losing regions, dozens of cities and thousands of soldiers'.

'All the military personnel now understand who I am talking about because 99 percent of the military hate him for what he does,' he continued, without naming his subject.

The Azov commander, Bogdan Krotevych, had a day earlier filed a complaint to the SBU security service, calling for an investigation into Sodol.

A leaked report cited by news outlet Ukrainska Pravda said Krotevych was willing to testify against Sodol.

Sodol's replacement, Hnatov, had served as deputy commander of the southern theatre of operations since 2022 and played a leading role in recapturing much of southern Kherson region from Russian invaders.

In the spring of 2023 he commanded the defence of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, a town that eventually fell to Russian forces after many months of pitched battles.

Krotevych, in a social media post after the president's announcement, described Hnatov as a 'very worthy officer'.

With Russian forces making gains and slowly advancing through eastern Ukraine in recent months, the military has undergone considerable changes.

The military top commander, Valeriy Zaluzhny, was dismissed in February after public differences with Zelensky over the conduct of the war.

Ukraine - outgunned and outmanned by Russia - has been on the back foot for months, with Moscow's forces claiming new villages in the east almost every week, but without making a major breakthrough.

The reopening of the offensive in Kharkiv, northern Ukraine, in March saw Russia sweep through Ukrainian settlements before meeting staggered resistance.

Crucially, the offensive saw the United States relent on its restriction to only allow Ukraine to fire its donated weapons within Ukraine, letting Kyiv strikes targets within Russia with high-powered long-distance missiles.

Brigadier General Andrii Hnatov is to replace Sodol in the post

A Ukrainian serviceman launches a mid-range reconnaissance type drone, Vector, in Kharkiv region, June 19

Medical workers treat a wounded local resident from a residential building damaged during a Russian air strike in Kharkiv, on June 22

Oleksandr, a 7-year-old child, reacts while undergoing rehabilitation for an amputated leg damaged in a Russian attack on January 17, on June 21

Five people, including two children, were killed by falling debris when Ukrainian missiles were shot down on Sunday in Sevatopol, a port city in Russia-annexed Crimea.

More than 100 people were also injured.

In the latest escalation, Russia said the United States had supplied the weapons, while the U.S. military had aimed them and provided data.

Pentagon spokesperson Major Charlie Dietz said that 'Ukraine makes its own targeting decisions and conducts its own military operations.'

A U.S. official later said that Ukraine was not targeting civilians.

It seemed that the Russians were able to intercept an ATACMS missile that was targeting a missile launcher, and the ATACMS exploded with shrapnel raining down on the beach, the American official added.