Kyiv - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a decree to appoint a new commander of the Special Operations Forces (SOF), a branch of the Armed Forces.
According to the decree, published on the presidential website, Viktor Khorenko was appointed the commander of the SOF, reports Xinhua news agency.
Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko wrote on Facebook that Khorenko previously served as a commander of the special reserve of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defence Ministry.
Khorenko will replace Hryhorii Halahan, who was dismissed by Zelensky earlier on Monday.
Last week, Zelensky dismissed Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova and head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov, blaming them for insufficiently dealing with a large number of traitors in their agencies.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has accused Russia of “barbarism” over a missile attack on the Odesa port which took place just hours after a landmark grain export deal was signed between Kiev and Moscow.
Under Friday's deal signed in Istanbul, Russia agreed not to target Ukrainian ports while grain shipments were in transit, the BBC reported.
But just hours after the agreement was signed, two Kalibr missiles hit the Odesa port, according to the Ukrainian military's southern command centre.
Another two missiles were shot down by air defence systems, the centre added.
Russian officials have however said that Moscow had “nothing to do” with the attack.
During a meeting on Saturday in Kyiv with a visiting delegation of US Congressmen, Zelensky said that Russia will find ways not to fulfil what it signs, reports Ukrayinska Pravda.
IANS