World
Ukraine's Zelenskyy replaces military's commander of joint forces
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced the replacement of Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol as the commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
- Zelenskyy named Brigadier-General Andriy Hnatov as Sodol’s successor, who will handle strategic planning of operations.
- Sodol’s removal followed a letter by Bohdan Krotevych, head of Ukraine’s Azov regiment, accusing Sodol of actions leading to military setbacks.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday he had replaced the commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol, after reports surfaced that he had performed badly in the 28-month-old war against Russia.
Zelenskyy, speaking in his nightly video address, gave no reason for the dismissal. He said Sodol had been replaced by Brigadier-General Andriy Hnatov in the post, which involves strategic planning of operations.
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.
RUSSIA BLAMES US AFTER UKRAINIAN ATTACK ON CRIMEA LEAVES SEVERAL DEAD, WOUNDED
In a post on the Telegram messaging app, Krotevych did not identify Sodol by name, but said an unnamed general “has killed more Ukrainian soldiers than any Russian general.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during an interview in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 20, 2024. Zelenskyy said on Monday he had replaced the commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Lieutenant-General Yuri Sodol, after reports surfaced that he had performed badly in the 28-month-old war against Russia. (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
“What I do care about is 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,” Krotevych wrote.
“All the military personnel now understand who I am talking about because 99 percent of the military hate him for what he does.”
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 theater 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 defense 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 Zaluzhnyi, was dismissed in February after public differences with Zelenskyy over the conduct of the war.
ad
Roman Catholic Pope Francis is stable and continues to undergo treatments, including nighttime non-invasive mechanical ventilation and daytime high-flow oxygen nasal cannulas, the Holy Press Office announced on Monday.
The pope continued his therapy and prescribed diet, which now includes eating solid foods, the Vatican said in an update on Sunday.
The Vatican said he did respiratory and motor physiotherapy and his condition “appears stable, with slight gradual improvements.”
“However, the overall situation remains complex, prompting doctors to maintain a guarded prognosis,” the Vatican also warned in its update.
On Sunday, the Vatican said the pope was responding well to treatment and had shown a “gradual, mild improvement” in recent days as he remains in the hospital recovering from double pneumonia.
POPE FRANCIS SHOWS ‘SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT’ DURING FOURTH WEEK IN HOSPITAL, VATICAN SAYS
Pope Francis waves as he leaves the Cercle Cite after a meeting with Luxembourg’s prime minister in Luxembourg City on Sept. 26, 2024. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP/Getty)
“The night was quiet; the Pope is resting,” the Vatican said in its earlier statement.
Francis, 88, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Feb. 14 after a week-long bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and subsequently the onset of pneumonia in both lungs.
It was the fourth Sunday in a row that the pope did not appear for his weekly noon blessing.
The pope’s condition has remained stable, as he has had no fever and good oxygen levels in his blood for several days, doctors said. The doctors said that his stability “as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy.”
This marks the first time doctors have reported that Francis, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed when he was younger, was responding well to the prescribed therapies since he was admitted to the hospital more than three weeks ago.
Pope Francis waves from his popemobile after the weekly Angelus prayers at Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Oct. 20, 2024. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty)
Despite Francis’ absence, the Vatican’s daily operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings pilgrims from around the world to Rome. The Holy Year is celebrating volunteers this weekend, and many are extending their pilgrimage to pray for Francis outside the hospital.
POPE FRANCIS CONTINUES TO REST IN HOSPITAL AS VATICAN’S HOLY YEAR PROCEEDS WITHOUT HIM
Pope Francis attends a mass at the Esplanade of Tasitolu in Dili, East Timor, on Sept. 10, 2024. (Tiziana Fabi/Pool/AFP/Getty)
Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny will preside over the Holy Year Mass on Sunday for the volunteers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The collision caused a fire in a busy shipping lane off the coast of East Yorkshire.
An oil tanker and a cargo ship collided off the coast of eastern England setting both vessels on fire, with at least 32 casualties brought onshore in a major rescue operation.
A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency said on Monday that the crash had occurred off the coast of the county of East Yorkshire.
Both the oil tanker and cargo vessel were on fire off the northeastern coast of England, with British media showing images of a huge plume of black smoke and flames rising from the scene.
Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East, said at least 32 casualties were brought ashore, but their condition was not immediately clear.
“It’s too far out for us to see – about 10 miles – but we have seen the vessels bringing them in,” he said, reporting that 13 casualties were brought in on a Windcat 33 vessel, followed by another 19 on a harbour pilot boat.
Boyers said he had been told there was “a massive fireball”.
The coastguard agency sent a helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, lifeboats and vessels with fire-fighting capability to the busy stretch of waterway after the alarm was raised at 0948 GMT.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which was working on the emergency response, said there were reports that “a number of people had abandoned the vessels”, which sparked “fires on both ships”.
It said three lifeboats were working on search and rescue at the scene alongside the coast guard.
Swedish tanker company Stena Bulk confirmed it owned the oil tanker involved in the accident, specifying that it was operated by Crowley, a US-based maritime company.
Stena Bulk said that the 20-strong crew on board had been accounted for.
According to media reports, the cargo ship involved is the “Solong” or “So Long”, owned by the German company Reederei Koepping.
The area where the collision took place has traffic running from the ports along Britain’s northeast coast to the Netherlands and Germany.
The International Maritime Organisation, the United Nations shipping agency, said it was aware of the situation and was checking further.
Where Lady Vols stand in updated March Madness bracket predictions after Vanderbilt loss
How to watch North Texas in the American Athletic Conference tournament
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs' first trip to Utah is ‘bittersweet’ for NHL star Auston Matthews
Trial delayed for suspect in 2 Vermont murders
Previewing Virginia Basketball’s Path Through the ACC Tournament
-
Education1 week agoCUNY Removes Palestinian Studies Job Listing on Hochul’s Orders
-
Technology1 week agoZapier says someone broke into its code repositories and may have accessed customer data
-
Politics3 days agoAgriculture secretary cancels $600K grant for study on menstrual cycles in transgender men
-
News1 week agoMap: 4.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Texas
-
Politics2 days agoRepublicans demand Trump cut American legal association out of nominee process
-
Politics1 week agoOPM's second email to federal employees asks what they did last week — and adds a new requirement: report
-
News2 days agoTrump Seeks to Bar Student Loan Relief to Workers Aiding Migrants and Trans Kids
-
News1 week agoICE is making more arrests, but critics say some claims don't add up