KYIV President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has replaced the commander of Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces, which have played an important role in helping defend the country since Russia's invasion.

A presidential order published on Monday announced the appointment of Major General Anatoliy Barhylevych as the new commander. A separate order announced the removal of General Ihor Tantsyura, who had been in the post since May 2022.

No reason was given for the decisions.

Barhylevych, 54, had since last year been serving as chief of staff of troops in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has been heavy since Russia sent in tens of thousands of soldiers in February 2022.

Part of the armed forces, the Territorial Defence Forces' roles include protection of critical facilities, combating sabotage and enemy intelligence forces, and maintaining security in Ukraine. They must also ensure defence while the full deployment of the main armed forces is underway.

Zelenskiy named a new defence minister, Rustem Umerov, last month. Umerov has said his priorities include making the ministry the main institution for coordinating Ukrainian defence forces, enhancing the value attached to individual soldiers, developing Ukraine's military industry and fighting corruption.

(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa, Editing by Timothy Heritage)