Valery Zaluzhny has been officially sacked as the head of his country’s armed forces
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes the hand of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhny during the official celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day on August 24, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. © Alexey Furman / Getty Images
The head of the Ukrainian armed forces throughout the conflict with Russia, General Valery Zaluzhny, was relieved of his post on Thursday. The move comes days after President Vladimir Zelensky hinted at the dismissal in an interview, causing a public backlash.
Ukrainian defense minister, Rustem Umerov, announced the firing on Facebook, crediting Zaluzhny for having carried out “one of the most difficult tasks” by leading the military against Russia.
“But the war doesn’t remain the same. War is changing and demands change. Combat in 2022, 2023 and 2024 are three different realities; 2024 will bring new changes that we must be prepared for. New approaches, new strategies are needed,” Umerov wrote.
“Today, the decision on the necessity of changing the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was adopted,” he added.
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Zelensky was warned of riots if he sacked top general – media
Rumors of Zaluzhny’s pending removal began to circulate in late January, coming from both military and political sources in Kiev, only to be officially denied.
Last Friday, the Washington Post reported that Zelensky had informed the White House of his decision to dismiss Zaluzhny, which the administration officials accepted. On Saturday, Zelensky spoke with Italy’s RAI TG1 news channel and said he was planning to replace “a series of state leaders” – not just in the military.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) advised the president that such a move could lead to riots in the capital, the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda reported on Wednesday, citing agency sources.
Former president Pyotr Poroshenko gave a speech in the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday, telling Zelensky to leave Zaluzhny alone and start with his own cabinet if he felt the need for a purge.
Zaluzhny was in charge of Ukraine’s 2023 summer offensive, which failed to achieve any of its objectives and cost Kiev hundreds of irreplaceable Western-supplied armored vehicles and more than 100,000 men. The battlefield situation has continued to deteriorate for the Ukrainian military ever since.