Ukraine's new president replaces Chief of the General Staff: decree

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy (L) and his lawyer and adviser Andriy Bogdan (R) attend a meeting with lawmakers in Kiev, Ukraine May 21, 2019. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's new President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday promoted Lieutenant General Ruslan Khomchak to be the Chief of the General Staff after sacking Viktor Muzhenko, a presidential decree said.

Muzhenko was the Chief of the General Staff since 2014, heading the military through conflict with a Russian-backed separatists in the Donbass region that has killed 13,000 people. Zelenskiy is expected to announce a series of personnel changes, including the foreign minister and defence minister.

(Reporting by Natalia Zinets; writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Angus MacSwan)