Syrskyi has led the Ukrainian ground forces throughout the full-scale Russian invasion.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyi fired the commander of the armed forces on Thursday evening To Valery Zaluzhny from his task. The Ukrainian News Agency was the first to report on the matter Liga.netaccording to which Zalužnyi resigned himself.
Zalužnyi commented on the resignation on his Telegram channel, where he said he had a long conversation with the president about the need to renew the army.
“We have just met with the commander-in-chief,” Zalužnyi wrote.
“We had an important and serious discussion. We made a decision that it is necessary to change the approach and strategy.”
“I am grateful to everyone who has been with me. To the team of the General Staff, the Minister of Defense and the President of Ukraine.”
Afterwards, Zaluzhnyi linked to a telegram from the Russian state news agency Ria Novosti, according to which Zelenskyi “offered him to leave the post of commander”.
Zelenskyi confirmed, according to the Reuters news agency, that he had a “serious discussion” with Zalužnyi and decided to change the leadership of the armed forces. According to the president, he asked the dismissed commander to remain involved in decision-making regarding the armed forces.
Zalužnyi has served as the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces throughout the full-scale invasion of Russia. He has always been very popular, and in opinion polls he has been considered a more reliable actor than the president. The disputes between the commander and the president have been in the news for three months already.
Later on Thursday evening, after the announcement of Zalužnyi's dismissal, the news agency Reuters reported that Zelenskyi has appointed as the new commander of the armed forces the former commander of the ground forces To Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Earlier, in addition to Syrskyi, the head of military intelligence was speculated to be Zalužnyi's successor Kyrylo Budanovia.
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