Zelenskiy replaces Ukraine’s embattled top general
- 9 February, 04:33
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on February 8 appointed Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, as the new chief commander of the country’s Armed Forces after dismissing General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Zelenskiy thanked Zaluzhnyi and said he would remain on his team.
"We discussed what renewal the Armed Forces of Ukraine need. We also discussed who could be in the renewed leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The time for this renewal is now," Zelenskiy posted.
In turn, Zaluzhnyi published a statement a few hours later, saying that he had an "important and serious conversation" with Zelenskiy and that a decision had been made to change battlefield tactics and strategy. "The tasks of 2022 are different from the tasks of 2024. Therefore, everyone must change and adapt to new realities as well. To win together too," the statement reads.
The newly-appointed chief of Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky has been heading Ukraine’s ground forces since 2019 and has played a pivotal role in the country’s resistance against Russian invasion launched in February 2020.
The announcement about Syrsky’s appointment follows weeks of speculation over the fate of Zaluzhnyi amid rumors of the latter’s possible dismissal. The rift between Zelenskiy and the top general has been deepening in recent months after Zaluzhnyi criticized Ukraine’s counter-offensive launched last year. Zaluzhnyi said there was a stalemate in the frontline due to the lack of advanced technology. In another statement, he also criticized the work of military mobilization offices, saying more soldiers must be conscripted. His statements were rejected by Zelenskiy.
