Top U.S. Military Leader Overseeing European Operations Dismissed in Ongoing Shake-Up

Amid a sweeping shake-up of the U.S. military leadership by the Donald Trump administration, a high-ranking general overseeing U.S. military operations in Europe has been dismissed, according to U.S. media reports.

A U.S. Army spokesperson confirmed the dismissal of Lieutenant General Charles Costanza, commander of V Corps.

Without disclosing specific reasons for the dismissal, the spokesperson only stated that the matter "has been referred to the appropriate authority in accordance with Army regulations."

V Corps is headquartered at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Camp Kosciuszko in Poland.

The corps has played a role in overseeing U.S. Army forces and coordinating operations across Europe, coordinating U.S. support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion, and managing U.S. troops stationed along the NATO front lines.

Following the dismissal of Lieutenant General Costanza, Brigadier General John B. Mountford, the corps' deputy commander for maneuver, is serving as acting corps commander.

Major General Thomas Feltey is scheduled to succeed Costanza, having already been confirmed by the Senate for a command transition scheduled for October.

ABC News reported that Lieutenant General Costanza's dismissal came amid a broad personnel overhaul targeting senior military officials, noting that "since Pete Hegseth took office as Defense Secretary, about 20 senior officers have been fired or removed from their posts, mostly without public explanation."

U.S. media outlets have reported that since the launch of the second Trump administration, a "purge" has been underway under the leadership of Secretary Hegseth, with U.S. generals being retired or demoted without clear reasons due to perceived alignment issues with his agenda.
 
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.