President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine announced the removal of the head of the medical forces. At the same time, he issued an order for immediate reforms to be implemented within the operations of Ukraine’s military medical system.

Zelenskiy’s departure was announced while he was meeting with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. It also coincided with a debate over the conduct of the war that has been going on against Russia for the past 20 months, with doubts over how rapidly a counteroffensive is developing in the east and south.

In his evening video address, Zelenskiy stated that priorities had been defined during a meeting that had taken place earlier in the day with Defense Minister Umerov. There is only a little time left to wait for the findings. For the changes that are on the horizon, prompt action is required.

According to Zelenskiy, he has taken on the role of commander of the Armed Forces Medical Forces, succeeding Major-General Tetiana Ostashchenko.

“The task is clear: as has been repeatedly stressed in society, particularly among combat medics, we need a fundamentally new level of medical support for our soldiers,” stated the commander. He said this encompassed various topics, including developing better tools, digitalization, and improved communication.

In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Umerov acknowledged the move and outlined his significant priorities as digitalization, tactical medicine, and personnel rotation. “The experience of the effectiveness of specific units should be extended to the entire defense forces.”

Last week, the Ukrainian military made a statement confirming that soldiers had taken control of areas on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in the southern Kherson district. The Ukrainian military updates on what it characterizes as advances in recapturing occupied territory in the east and south.

In an essay published this month, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, General Valery Zaluzhniy, stated that the war was entering a new stage of attrition and that the Ukrainian military needed more advanced technology to compete with the Russian military.

Zelenskiy has denied that the battle is heading toward a stalemate and has called on Kyiv’s Western partners, particularly the United States, to maintain levels of military support. He has said that advances will take time and has said this multiple times.

Major-General Anatoliy Kazmirchuk, the head of a military clinic in Kyiv, was appointed to replace Ostashchenko in his position.

Her expulsion happened a week after a news site in Ukraine reported that her removal and the removal of others were impending following meetings with paramedics and other officials responsible for giving support to the troops. Her dismissal came as a result of these consultations.