KIEV -  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday replaced commander of the Joint Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said the presidential press service.

Zelensky dismissed Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol and appointed Brigadier General Andriy Hnatov as the new chief of the Joint Forces, according to the decrees published on the presidential website.

Hnatov had previously served as the deputy commander of forces at the operational command "South" of the Ukrainian Ground Forces.

The news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, citing a leaked report, said a criminal complaint had been submitted concerning Sodol, who was promoted earlier this year, although it did not identify him. 

Sodol was appointed as commander of the Joint Forces in February this year. 

Sodol's removal, one of a series of personnel changes, followed publication of a letter by the head of Ukraine's revered Azov regiment, Bohdan Krotevych, in which he alleged that Sodol's actions had led to serious military setbacks.

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The news outlet Ukrainska Pravda, citing a leaked report, said a criminal complaint had been submitted concerning Sodol, who was promoted earlier this year, although it did not identify him. It said Krotevych was willing to testify against him.

Hnatov had served as deputy commander of the southern theatre of operations since 2022. Krotevych, in a social media post after the president's announcement, described Hnatov as a "very worthy officer".

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

With Reuters inputs