Valery Zaluzhny has confirmed the death of his close associate in the Donbass
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny at an event in Kiev on August 24, 2023. © Alexey Furman / Getty Images
A former aide and close associate of Ukraine’s ex-top general Valery Zaluzhny has been killed during a Russian strike in the Donbass.
Officials announced Colonel Aleksandr Nikityuk’s death on Friday, saying that he was killed in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Dobropolye. Zaluzhny, who currently serves as Ukraine’s ambassador in London, later confirmed that his friend was killed by “an enemy missile.”
According to Russian military bloggers, Nikityuk was in a hotel that housed Ukraine’s 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade when the building was hit by an S-300 missile.
Nikityuk made a career as a policeman before becoming Zaluzhny’s aide during Russia’s military operation, which was launched in February 2022. According to Ukrainian media, he was Zaluzhny’s military police liaison.
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One of the most recognizable faces of Ukraine’s military efforts, Zaluzhny was credited with the defense of Kiev during the early stages of the conflict. He earned praise from Western observers and significantly raised his profile overseas with his widely quoted interviews.
At the same time, the media reported about growing disagreements between him and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, especially in the wake of the failed 2023 counteroffensive. Zelensky denied that there were tensions, but publicly rejected Zaluzhny’s assessment about the stalemate on the front line.
Zelensky fired Zaluzhny as the top commander of the army in February. He was appointed as Ukraine’s new envoy to Britain next month.