Zelensky (L) and Zaluzhny (R)
General Valery Zaluzhny was removed from the post of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov made the announcement on Facebook, crediting Zaluzhny for having carried out “one of the most difficult tasks” by leading Kyiv’s forces 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”.
In one of the recent interviews, President Vladimir Zelensky clearly hinted at the move. On Saturday, Zelensky spoke with Italy’s RAI TG1 news channel and said he was planning to replace “a series of state leaders”, allegedly not just in the military.
Earlier in February, the Washington Post reported that Zelensky had informed the White House of his decision to dismiss Zaluzhny, which the administration officials accepted.
Zaluzhny was in charge of the 2023 summer offensive of the Kyiv regime. The offensive that failed to achieve any of its objectives and cost Kiev hundreds of irreplaceable Western-supplied armored vehicles and more than 100,000 personnel.
Therefore, nobody was really surprised by the final decision, especially amid the recent military and diplomatic setbacks of the Kyiv regime. It’s dog eat dog play within top officials of the Kyiv regime. Zelensky and his competitors are in an urgent search for a cause or at least a whipping boy to explain how Ukraine found itself in a military conflict with Russia.
Meanwhile, the battlefield situation has continued to deteriorate for the Kyiv regime and its Western sponsors are publicly slowing down the flow of military supplies and financial support provided to it.
