Ukraine’s Zelensky tells top general it’s time for someone new to lead the army
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday that he had replaced his top army general in an unprecedented shakeup of the country’s top military brass at a pivotal moment in the war, with Russian forces gaining ground in the east.
Zelensky swapped General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the popular commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, for Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
“As of today, a new management team takes over the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the president said in a statement.
This seismic shift in Ukraine’s military leadership comes after months of speculation about a falling-out between Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi, who had angered the president by publicly saying that the two-year war “had gone into a stalemate.”
Zelensky said in his statement that he had met Zaluzhnyi to discuss high-level changes and asked the general to remain “on his team.”
In an apparent bid to portray a united front, the two men posed for a photo showing them smiling and shaking hands, with the ousted general flashing a “V” for victory sign.
Zaluzhnyi later released his own statement, saying that he had an “important and serious conversation” with Zelensky 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,” Zaluzhnyi said.
The two statements were fired off within moments of one another, suggesting that Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi had coordinated their responses.
In his nightly address, Zelensky shed some more light on the reasoning behind his decision to supplant Zaluzhnyi — pointing a finger at Ukraine’s failed summer counteroffensive.
“Unfortunately, we failed to achieve the goals of our state on land,” he said. “We have to speak honestly — the feeling of stagnation, specifically in the southern directions and the difficulties in the battles in the Donetsk region have affected the public mood. Ukrainians are speaking of victory less often.”
Zelensky insisted that Zaluzhnyi’s ouster was “certainly not about politics,” but instead was prompted by an urgent need to reorganize the management of the military and draw on the experience of battlefield commanders like Syrskyi, who successfully defended Kyiv in the first weeks of the war, and later took part in the surprise counteroffensive that liberated the Kharkiv region.
“I am grateful to General Zaluzhnyi for two years of defense,” the president added. “I am grateful for every victory we have achieved together, thanks to all the Ukrainian soldiers who heroically carry this war on their shoulders.”
Syrskyi, 58, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces who goes by the call sign “snow leopard,” has since 2013 been involved in the Ukrainian army’s effort to adopt NATO military standards.
Renowned for his modesty and a distaste for the limelight, Zaluzhnyi, has emerged as a symbol of quiet resilience since the start of the war, earning him broad support among Ukraine’s soldiers and civilians alike.
Recent polls showed the public’s trust in Zaluzhnyi, nicknamed the “Iron General,” was at over 90%, compared to Zelenskiy’s 77%.
Retired Australian Maj. Gen. Mick Ryan, a fellow of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, described Zaluzhnyi as “a charismatic and popular military leader” who would be hard to replace.
Zelensky’s announcement comes at a particularly perilous time for Ukraine as it struggles with ammunition and personnel shortages, and awaits crucial military aid from the US that has been blocked by Republicans in Congress for months.
Russia has sought to take advantage of the flagging Western support by stepping up its attacks along the eastern front, trying to cut off and encircle the strategically important town of Avdiivka.
The State Department commented on Zaluzhnyi’s replacement Thursday, calling it Ukraine’s “sovereign decision”.
With Post wires
