Zelensky appoints general as chief of Kyiv military administration

KYIV. March 1 (Interfax) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Gen. Mykola Zhyrnov chief of the Kyiv military administration.

"The capital's defense is above all now. Therefore, I have decided to appoint a professional military man chief of the Kyiv military administration during the war," Zelensky said in a video address on Tuesday.

"Gen. Mykola Mykolayovych Zhyrnov will be chief of the [city's] military administration," he said.

Zhyrnov has served as commander of the Support Forces and organized the engineering support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' actions in 2014-2015 at a high level, Zelensky said. Until lately, Zhyrnov has served as state expert at the Military Security Service at the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council.

Vitali Klitschko remains the mayor of Kyiv and will have his own area of responsibility, Zelensky said.

"Now it's going to be joint work of the mayor and the military administration chief. After the war, we'll return everything back in the capital," Zelensky said.