President Zelensky officially dismissed the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
(Baonghean.vn) - General Valery Zaluzhny, who led the Ukrainian armed forces in the conflict with Russia, was dismissed on February 8th. This move came a few days after President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at the decision in an interview, sparking a strong public reaction.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov made the announcement on Facebook, praising Zaluzhny for undertaking “one of the most difficult tasks” in leading the army against Russia. “But war is no longer the same. War is changing and demands change. The wars of 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. He added: “Today, the decision on the necessity of a change in leadership of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was made.”
Rumors about Zaluzhny's impending removal began circulating in late January, coming from both military and political sources in Kyiv, but were officially denied. On February 2, the Washington Post reported that President Zelensky had informed the White House of the decision to dismiss Zaluzhny and that government officials had accepted it. On February 3, Zelensky spoke to Italy's RAI TG1 news channel and said he was planning to replace "a number of state leaders"—not just in the military.
Ukrainska Pravda reported on February 7, citing sources, that the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) had advised the President that such a move could lead to riots in the capital. Former President Pyotr Poroshenko addressed the Ukrainian Parliament on February 7, telling Zelensky to leave Zaluzhny alone and start with his own cabinet if he felt the need to purge. Immediately after dismissing Zaluzhny, President Zelensky appointed ground forces commander Oleksandr Syrsky as the country's new army commander, in a dramatic military reshuffle nearly two years after the Russian invasion.
“Starting today (February 8), a new leadership team will take charge of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Zelensky said. “I have appointed General Syrsky as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.” In addition, President Zelensky called on Ukraine’s new military leadership to develop a new strategy this year to defeat Russian forces.
President Zelensky wrote on social media: “A detailed, realistic action plan for the Ukrainian Armed Forces until 2024 should be discussed. It should take into account the current situation on the battlefield and the prospects.” The Ukrainian leader affirmed that he also invited outgoing commander Zaluzhny to continue participating in the country's efforts to repel Russian forces.
For his part, immediately after his dismissal, Zaluzhny acknowledged that Ukraine's military strategy "must change" after nearly two years of conflict, shortly after his removal from office. "The tasks of 2022 are different from the tasks of 2024. Therefore, everyone must also change and adapt to the new reality. To win together," Zaluzhny declared after long-standing rumors of his dismissal were officially announced.
