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Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi

President Volodymyr Zelenskyi met with Valery Zaluzhny on 08 February 2024. In particular, the head of state discussed with the general what updates the Armed Forces of Ukraine need. Later, Zelensky announced that he had dismissed Zaluzhnyi from the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and appointed Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who previously commanded the Ground Forces, in his place.

The level of trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky within the country has dropped by five percentage points after the replacement of Valery Zaluzhny as the Ukrainian military commander, a survey conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) showed on 15 February 2024. In December 2023, 77% of the Ukrainians trusted Zelensky, indicating that the level of trust in the Ukrainian president has dropped by 13 percentage points compared to the period of February 5-10.

A competent leader preserves combat power by putting his Soldiers first and doing the most to improve their situation. "The badge of rank that an officer wears on his coat is really a symbol of servitude to his men." -Maj. Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor.

Rumors of an alleged conflict between the political and military leadership of Ukraine had appeared since the fall of 2023. The President's Office then denied them, and in December of last year, Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov said that Zaluzhnyi's resignation was not planned.

Peter Dickinson, editor of the Atlantic Council’s UkraineAlert service, noted "Zelenskyy’s decision to dismiss Zaluzhny comes as no surprise but it is nevertheless one of the Ukrainian leader’s biggest gambles of the entire war. With no major breakthroughs for more than a year, the need for a change in tactics is obvious. However, Ukraine currently faces growing ammunition shortages amid alarming delays in Western military aid, making offensive operations particularly challenging and leaving Ukrainian commanders with little choice but to switch to active defense. If the military situation deteriorates further in the coming months, Zelenskyy will now be held personally responsible."

On Monday, 29 January 2024, Ukrainians were shaken by claims that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, had been dismissed by order of the President. In fact, in a meeting, Zelensky asked the general to resign. When he refused, the president threatened his own firing order. Zaluzhny returned to his office, where he said that he had been fired. Zaluzhny reportedly told Zelensky that hsi close advisers close "wrap him in a warm blanket of positive news, beyond which it is difficult for him to see the real situation at the front." Zaluzhny was reportedly offered the position of secretary of the National Security Council, but he refused. According to reports, the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi and the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyryll Budanov, both refused to replace Zaluzhny.

On 02 February 2024, The Washington Post, citing two anonymous sources, reported that Ukrainian authorities had told the United States that Zelensky had decided to fire the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny. The administration of the United States "neither supported nor denied".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Sunday 04 February 2024 that he is thinking about replacing Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny. "This is a question that concerns the people who should lead Ukraine. Of course, a restart and a new beginning are needed," Zelensky said in an interview with Italian broadcaster Rai1 when asked about the dispute with Zaluzhny. "When we talk about this, I mean the replacement of several senior state officials, not only in the military. I am thinking about this replacement [of Zaluzhny], it is true," Zelensky said, adding that replacing "one person does not mean that we can move forward." In an appearance on the TG1 television newscast, he said "The issue concerns the entire management team that leads the country".

Jake Sullivan, the adviser to the US president on national security, atated on Sunday 04 February 2024 on CBS News channel. "Personnel decisions in the Armed Forces are a matter for the Ukrainian government. This is not something that the US government should consider one way or the other. Therefore, we stayed away from this set of personnel decisions. And, of course, this is the sovereign right of Ukraine and the right of the president to make his personnel decisions decision. We have made it clear that we are simply not going to get involved in this particular decision. We indicated this directly to the Ukrainians," he said, answering the question of whether the Ukrainian government had informed the White House that the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army would be dismissed.

According to Politico's analysis, the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not listen to Pentagon military advisers during the failed counteroffensive and used his own tactics. Though even if the Pentagon's tactics had been followed, the result might not have changed, since the error of strategy could not be corrected by tactics. Cynical observers had suggested the US Ukrainian strategy was based on a protracted conflict. The longer the armed confrontation continues, the longer Moscow will be occupied with it, the more relations between Russia and Europe will collapse, which means that the United States will be able to sell more liquefied natural gas to the European Union, keep it under its control, and maintain the dominance of Atlanticism in Europe as opposed to China. and Russia and so on. Advisor to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Mikhail Podolyak, named the reasons for the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny. He wrote about this in his Telegram channel. The decision, according to the publication, is due to the need to reconsider the tactics of action, which “did not fully ensure the desired result last year” and to prevent stagnation on the front line. In addition, according to Podolyak, there are two more reasons: the launch of the process of changing management principles in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the search for solutions in order to “retain and develop the initiative.”

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on 06 February 2024 that "I don't think that any changes in the government can affect our relations with our partners". Kuleba said "We can discuss tactics within the team, but we are all united around our strategic goal — the defeat of Russia in Ukraine and the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. And there are no discussions about this strategic goal at all,"

NATO stated that they "have no opinion" regarding the possible resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny. This was said by the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, 07 February 2024. "Of course, this is Ukraine's decision. NATO does not have any opinion on this matter. But I welcome the very clear statement of Foreign Minister Kuleba that any changes will not affect Ukraine's relations with its partners and NATO," Stoltenberg noted.

On 28 November 2023, The Economist wrote about an alleged "conflict" between the top military and political leadership of Ukraine over the results of the summer 2023 counteroffensive. "Ukrainians straddling two increasingly distinct worlds: the grim reality of a trench war; and an ever more waspish political battleground in Kyiv. When Russia began its invasion in February 2022, competitive politics went into hibernation. They returned as the existential threat to Ukraine decreased later that year.... jostling has already made Ukraine “unstable”. Mistakes are being made “on all sides”. And presidential attempts to “centralise decision-making” and “shut down dissent” are having the opposite effect."

According to German Colonel Wolfgang Richter, who gave an interview to the German television channel NTV, the conflict between Zelensky and Zaluzhny arose because the head of state wanted to continue the counteroffensive, but the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine withdrew the troops to the defensive, based on the means and capabilities of the army. Zelensky wants to return the lost lands, but Zaluzhny claims that these are all unrealistic plans. The picture can be briefly summarized as a deep gap between political purpose and military reality. Zelensky sets a goal, but Zaluzhny cannot achieve it due to the real situation on the battlefield. Zaluzhny, by the way, openly showed this contradiction in an interview with the Economist magazine, emphasizing: “The conflict with Russia has reached a dead end.”

One observer suggested " the main problem of our army is that, according to the decision of Supreme Commander Volodymyr Zelenskyi, the vertical management in the army has actually been destroyed. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief's staff actually divided the active army into two large groups. One group is commanded by the commander of the Ground Forces, Sirskyi. Another group is commanded directly by the team of Zaluzhny, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to whom Sirsky is supposed to be subordinate.,, We actually have two commanders-in-chief on these 800 km: one half of the front, the other half. And everyone leads the army by himself. This is simply absurd.,,, There is a constant struggle for ammunition, to whom and where the replenishment goes. [Army problems: administration, counteroffensive, will Syrsky replace Zaluzhny? 08 December 2023]

President Zelensky in The Sun on 20 November 2023 warned generals that getting involved in politics put national unity at risk. The warning followed a spat with Commander-in-Chief General Valeriy Zaluzhny who said the war with Russia was at a stalemate and that a breakthrough was unlikely. When The Sun asked Mr Zelensky about relations with his commanders, the president said generals who entered politics made a mistake. He also warned top brass risked being disobeyed by their soldiers if they became political.

He said: “Various political forces are pushing the military into politics. It was after 2014, when each political party wanted some military men, stars of the war, and I believe that was a very big mistake. They were pushed to politics because they were all destroyed, reputation etc.” Zelensky said: “If a military man decided to do politics, it is his right, then he should enter politics and then he can’t deal with war. If you manage war keeping in mind that tomorrow you will do politics or elections, then in your words and on the front line you behave as a politician and not as a military man, and I think that is a huge mistake.”

Maryana Bezugla, the deputy head of the National Security Committee at the time, published a series of posts with accusations against Zaluzhny. She stated that the military command of Ukraine should resign because it did not provide "any action plan for 2024" either to the Headquarters or to the committee. On November 30, 2023, the adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, assured that there is no conflict in Ukraine between President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny. On December 1, 2023, the Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk stated that there are no differences between the political and military leadership of Ukraine.

Radio Svoboda asked Petr Kuzyk, commander of the Svoboda battalion of the Rubizh offensive brigade of NSU, call sign "Apostol", about this. "I will say frankly: fighters ask me... Trench conversations. This is not entirely good, because, firstly, Zaluzhnyi is a very popular leader, and secondly, it is important for us, for the soldiers, that we understand that there is a single unit in the headquarters: there are people who are trusted and believed.

"It is very important for a soldier to have the confidence that he has a commander who cares about him. In general, Zaluzhny Atak has a reputation. And when an order comes that is very difficult, very risky, if there is an understanding that it is not a political motivation for this order or some personal ambitions, that it is necessary for Ukraine, it is easier to carry it out even at the risk of life.

"That is, it is very important for a soldier to have confidence that there is a commander behind him who cares about him. In general, Zaluzhny Atak has a reputation. He is very popular among the military, obviously, and among the population of Ukraine. Therefore, let's put it this way, this is his resignation in this format, if it is also given a political color, it will definitely have a negative impact on the state of the army....

"Zaluzhny, as the facade of the entire defense of Ukraine, as a well-deserved person who repelled the heaviest attacks when there was an occupation, when it was unclear whether the country would survive at all, then Zaluzhny is the best character. He has trust, and I would like us to understand, fighting at the front, that there are no intrigues, there is no politics, we are all from the president to the opposition parties, to the parliament, to the officials, we are all engaged in the defense of Ukraine. I painted this idealistic picture somewhat ironically, but I would like it."

General Valery Zaluzhnyi never declared any political, let alone presidential, ambitions.

During December 4-10, 2023, the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) conducted an all-Ukrainian poll of public opinion "Omnibus", to which questions were added about trust in military commanders. Among all respondents, 92% trust Zaluzhny, 60% trust Budanov (18% do not know him), and another 33% trust Syrsky (48% do not know him). Among those who know these commanders, 94% trust V. Zaluzhny, 73% trust K. Budanov, and 63% trust O. Syrskyi . At the same time, the level of mistrust among those who know them is 5% for V. Zaluzhny, 24% for K. Budanov, 29% for O. Syrskyi. The majority of Ukrainians trust the President, and 59% trust both the President and the Commander-in-Chief.

To the quesiotn "If the decision of Volodymyr Zelenskyi to dismiss Valery Zaluzhnyi and replace the Commander-in-Chief with another general, how would you react to this?" the vast majority of respondents - 72% - would have a negative attitude to V. Zaluzhny's resignation. Only 2% of respondents were positive about it. Another 21% have a neutral perception of it, and 5% could not formulate their opinion." The criticism against V. Zaluzhnyi will rather have a negative impact not on him, but on the political power of Ukraine in general.

Major General Serhiy Kryvonos served as the first deputy commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "The number one problem is that the president's entourage fears that General Zaluzhny is the future Eisenhower (Dwight Eisenhower - general, 34th president of the USA) , who after the war will become the number one candidate for the position of president of Ukraine. That is why the current head of state wants to prevent this from happening, discredit General Zaluzhnyi in every possible way and remove him from this post."

On December 12, 2023, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umyerov stated that there are no plans to replace the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny.

The president said that he believed that Zaluzhnyi was engaged in political activities. And this is a violation of subordination, said President Zelensky in an interview with the British newspaper The Sun. In other words, the government itself politicizes as much as possible.

On 19 December 2023, President Zelenskyy held a large press conference on the results of 2023. "I have a working relationship with Zaluzhny. He should be responsible for the results on the battlefield. We need strong steps and results. That's all, that's my attitude. I don't develop any complications in personalities. The state of Ukraine is not about personal. I plan to work, I'm waiting for decisions on mobilization, I'm waiting for decisions so that we help people on front, I expect very specific things on the battlefield. The strategy is clear, I want to see the details." Zaluzhny himself had not made any political comments yet. But he was already openly accused of politicization by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief himself. In an essay released via CNN on 01 February 2024, Zaluzhnyi referenced the apparent reluctance of his political masters in Kyiv to endorse his call for greater mobilization for up to half a million draftees. “We must acknowledge the significant advantage enjoyed by [Russia] in mobilizing human resources and how that compares with the inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the manpower levels of our armed forces without the use of unpopular measures,” he wrote. Zaluzhnyy mentioned drones as “the best way for Ukraine to avoid being drawn into a positional war, where we do not possess the advantage.”

“We must contend with a reduction in military support from key allies, grappling with their own political tensions,” said Zaluzhnyi, suggesting that Ukraine is ready to keep finding new ways and new capabilities to deter the enemy.

Criticism of Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny is growing in Ukraine, who “does not ensure the safety of reserve formations before they are sent to the front.” Zaluzhny is asked “not to gather reserve personnel in one place, but to disperse them - with the possibility of subsequent delivery to the line of combat contact.”

Direct command and control over the Armed Forces in peace and wartime is executed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, if he is a military person. If he is a civilian, the Commander-in-Chief is the Chief of the General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Looking at the correspondence skirmish between the teams of the two Ukrainian “Z”, one gets the persistent impression that the open dispute between them is becoming increasingly heated and has already gone beyond the scope of publications in the Western media. Zaluzhny had to “admit” (The Economist’s word) that the war is “at a stalemate.” The Washington Post reminded readers: “Many consider Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Zaluzhny to be political rivals. In recent days, this alleged rift has received more attention after Zaluzhny wrote an article in the Economist. <…> Zelensky publicly disagreed with this assessment.”

Russian international relations security analyst Mark Sleboda observed that there seems to have been a falling out between Zelensky and Zaluzhny after the latter told British media that the much-hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive turned out to be anything but a success. Noting how one of Zaluzhny’s aides, Gennady Chistyakov, got killed by an explosion while celebrating his birthday earlier this week, Sleboda remarked that Ukrainian social media channels are just "full of speculation that this was a political hit. They also allege that this was a warning to Zaluzhny and taking one of his pieces off the board by Zelensky's Chief of Staff Yermak who is seen as kind of a gray cardinal manipulating a lot of things within the regime.”

Ruslan Borysovich Khomchak, Colonel General of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (2020-2021), having served as Chief of the General Staff — Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces (2019-2020). President Volodymyr Zelenskiy replaced the head of Ukraine's armed forces as Kyiv pressed for deeper NATO ties while its seven-year war against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine grinds on.Presidential spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov said on 27 July 2021 that General Ruslan Khomchak will be replaced by General Valery Zaluzhny as the commander of some 250,000 active Ukrainian troops. Nikiforov said it was Zelenskiy's decision to sack Khomchak. He suggested the dismissal was an effort to stem infighting between Ukraine's armed forces and the Defense Ministry.

On 5 March 2022, Lieutenant General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was promoted to the rank of General by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and apointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the highest military position in the country, the head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In general, it organizes the training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other defense forces for their use in repelling armed aggression and provides direct military leadership during hostilities. The position was created by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 28 March 2020, before which the Chief of the General Staff was the commander-in-chief.

Ukraine’s top military official, Lieutenant General Valery Zaluzhny, on May 27, 2022 took to Telegram, calling for "weapons that will allow us to hit the enemy at a big distance." Russian forces in eastern Ukraine appeared to be making more progress despite what U.S. military officials described as stiff resistance from Ukrainian troops. On October 14, 2022, Zaluzhny vowed to forge ahead with a counteroffensive launched last month. “We’re getting (what is) ours back. No one and nothing will stop us,” Zaluzhny said in a video message. “We have buried the myth of the invincibility of the Russian army.”

In an interview with The Economist, published on 15 December 2022, Zaluzhnyi said that he had no doubt that the Russians would try to attack Kyiv again. By January 2023 the front lines in the war, including those to the southeast of the city of Zaporizhzhia, had not moved significantly for weeks. But there has been growing expectation of a possible major Russian move in recent weeks since the head of Ukraine’s armed forces said in a rare interview in December 2022 that Russian troops were “100 percent being prepared,” for an offensive. General Valery Zaluzhny told The Economist magazine he expected the push to happen, “in February, at best in March and at worst at the end of January.”

The head of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said 10 May 2023 that Zaluzhny declined to participate in the meeting of the committee at the level of chiefs of staff "even in the format of a video conference" because of the "tense operational situation" in Ukraine. There were suggestions in the Russian and Ukrainian media that Zaluzhny or the commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky could have been eliminated as a result of Russian strikes.

Military correspondent Alexander Rudenko reported on his Telegram channel 20 May 2023 that the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny was dying in the hospital. The journalist recalled that the general had stopped appearing in public since May 8. He did not even attend the important meeting of NATO defense ministers in Ramstein, where arms supplies to Ukraine were discussed. According to Rudenko, the commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was seriously injured while at one of the command posts of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Here he checked the readiness of parts for contrasting. "During a missile attack on military infrastructure facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk region, this command post was hit by a precise hit by a Russian cruise missile. As a result, a large number of high-ranking Ukrainian military personnel, including General Zaluzhny, were killed and wounded," the military commander wrote.

"The information about Zaluzhny's injury is indirectly confirmed by the fact that on May 10, his wife Elena was seen driving up from Novospitalnaya Street to the Kiev military hospital, where she spent more than four hours," the journalist added. Recall that earlier on Ukrainian television they showed a documentary film with the participation of Zaluzhny, where he called the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov a strong and unpredictable enemy. It is clear that the picture was taken much earlier and, possibly, was shown in order to cover up the disappearance of Zaluzhny.

Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Anna Malyar said that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) Valeriy Zaluzhny continues to perform his duties, despite suggestions that his recent absence from the public may be caused by an injury. "Commander-in-Chief is in place. He is doing his job," Maliar wrote on her Telegram channel on 20 May 2023, claiming that "the Russians have launched an information wave about the alleged disappearance" of Zaluzny. She added that she had just talked with Zaluzhny. Malyar denied rumors that Zaluzhny was wounded on May 10.

On 24 May 2023, a representative of the Russian law enforcement agencies, citing sources in the Ukrainian army, said that Zaluzhny received a closed head injury and multiple shrapnel wounds after a missile attack on a command post near the village of Posad-Pokrovskoye, Kherson region, in early May 2023. According to the source, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine had a craniotomy. Valery Zaluzhny will not be able to continue his army service, the source said. "In Nikolaev, Zaluzhny received first aid to stop bleeding. At a Kyiv military hospital, he underwent a craniotomy,” a representative of law enforcement agencies said.

The wounding of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny speaks of the "quality work" of the Russian Aerospace Forces in the so-called decision-making centers, Yan Gagin, adviser to the acting head of the DPR, said in an interview 24 May 2023. “As for the wounding of Zaluzhny: firstly, this confirms the high-quality work of our Aerospace Forces in decision-making centers, in enemy headquarters. Secondly, this situation has seriously deprived the Ukrainian regime of a fairly competent and serious military leader," Gagin said on the Rossiya 1 TV channel.

The condition of the Ukrainian commander–in-chief was complicated by the presence of an underlying disease of type II diabetes, the RIA source said. "The forecast is that he will live, but he will not be able to do his job," the representative concluded.

A member of a hacktivist group in the DPR told Sputnik, citing sources in Ukrainian Armed Forces that Western patrons urged Kiev to hide information about Zaluzhny's condition in order to preserve the last bits of morale, completely undermined by Russian liberation of Artemovsk.

the Ukrainian TsIPSO threw into the Internet a version that allegedly nothing special was happening and, while the brave defenders of Bakhmut were fleeing the city, dropping their slippers, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzny was calmly resting in Cyprus before the counteroffensive. Moreover, in confirmation of this version, a photograph was published where Valery Zaluzhny bathes in the warm sea. However, it soon became clear that the photo was old - the military leader looks too young. In addition, the commander-in-chief's luxurious rest at a time when his soldiers and officers are suffering a heavy defeat is too much even for the Ukrainian military.

Russia receives reports of the wounding of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny, but there is no guarantee that this information is reliable. This was stated 24 May 2023 by the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation Sergey Naryshkin. “Of course, we receive information [about the injury of Zaluzhny]. But I cannot guarantee you that this information is one hundred percent reliable, ”Sergey Naryshkin said during a conversation with reporters. According to him, this is not a topic that should be given much attention.

Reserve colonel, military expert Andrey Koshkin, in an interview with MK , commented on this information, naming a possible candidate for the position of commander. According to him, there were serious disagreements between the current head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. They concerned both Zaluzhny's popularity in the West and the situation in Artemovsk.

“The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine spoke about the expediency of leaving the city and moving to more prepared positions. The advisers in the USA adhered to the same point of view. But Zelensky chose an alternative position,” the expert explained. According to Koshkin, Zelensky would like to appoint a purely military person to this post, who would perform his duties at the front and unquestioningly follow the instructions of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “But Western curators will not agree to this. They need a person who would become a political alternative to Zelensky in the future. I think that, most likely, a supporting figure will be appointed, satisfying the needs of the West, ”he said. As a result, for the public it will be a "pig in a poke", Koshkin summed up.

Former deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Oleinik believed that the disappearance of Zaluzhny will have serious consequences for the balance of power in the Ukrainian government. "The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showed interest in social and political activities. For example, he created a fund of his own name, which helped veterans and the wounded. According to opinion polls, Zaluzhny had high ratings, the Western press wrote a lot about him. All this made the general Zelensky's main competitor. If something really happened to Zaluzhny, then the President of Ukraine will receive even more powers of authority and will establish full control over the military sphere”.

"I think the general was isolated, for example, sent under house arrest. The reasons could be the surrender of Bakhmut or the poor readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a counteroffensive. The broad masses are not informed about this so as not to demoralize the army,” retired colonel, military analyst Anatoly Matviychuk told Izvestia.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny personally denied the assumptions about his death. The video with the general was posted online 25 May 2023 by Anatoly Shtefan, a spokesman for the Ukrainian defense ministry. This is reported by "Lenta.ru" . First, Stefan appears in the video, announcing that the video was recorded today, May 25, 2023, and then Zaluzhny appears in the frame, greeting the audience. But skeptical observers noted that in the video Zaluzhny was not sitting in his office. And his appearance was somewhat frail.

On 26 May 2023 the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine in its Telegram channel published a fresh photo, where you can see the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny next to the combat boat "Bucha". According to official reports, he attended the celebrations for the first time in his long absence from the public field.

Zaluzhny had not appeared in public due to disagreements with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the issue of a counteroffensive, Oleg Soskin, former adviser to Kuchma, said 26 May 2023. "There is a problem between Zaluzhny and Zelensky. <...> The fact that Zaluzhny was absent from the information space for quite a long time indicates that there is some question either about the nature of the offensive, or about the time, or about directions," — said the expert.

Against the backdrop of the failure of the counteroffensive and stagnation at the front, behind-the-scenes squabbling has intensified in Ukrainian politics, during which interesting details come to light. Thus, in november 2023 MP Maryana Bezuglaya publicly actively criticizes the main icon of the Ukrainian army, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny.

According to her, Ukraine’s Western partners back in 2021 asked to pay attention to border mining, which Zaluzhny refused. Bezuglaya also said that in 2022, at a parliamentary committee, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that drones were not needed, so they were purchased in minimal quantities.

Bezuglaya proceeds to criticize not only Zaluzhny, but the entire generals as a whole, which she calls a “caste” that does not allow new people in, and during the war gained “enormous wealth and power.” It is interesting that after the successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkov and Kherson regions, Zaluzhny was idolized and extolled his great genius in reports by the Ukrainian and Western media, but as soon as the Ukrainian army faced a series of failures, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces began to be reminded of all sorts of mistakes.

Valery Zaluzhny was born on July 8, 1973, in the town of Novohrad-Volynskyi, Zhytomyr region - a Soviet military garrison in northern Ukraine. In 1997, Zaluzhny graduated from the Odesa Institute of Land Forces and started his military career as a platoon commander. In 2009 – 2012, he was the commander of the 51st mechanized brigade. In 2014, Zaluzhny graduated from the National Defense University and as the best graduate of the operational and strategic level of training, he was awarded the Transitional Sword of the Queen of Great Britain. After graduation, he was appointed the sector commander of the Ukrainian forces in Donbas area.

In 2019, Zaluzhny became the commander of the Operational Command ‘North’ and in July 2021, he was appointed the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. He became the first Ukraine’s Commander who has not served in the Soviet army.

Since the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine Zaluzhny has not given any interviews. Military experts around the world point out the successful defense operation of the Ukrainian army, which did not allow the enemy to occupy Kyiv. ‘Time’ magazine included Zaluzhny into the list of 100 most influential people.

He is awarded state and service regals. General Zaluzhny is married and has two daughters.

EDUCATION

• 1997 Odesa Land Forces Institute, graduated with honors;
• 2007 National Defense Academy of Ukraine, operational tactical level, graduated with a gold medal;
• 2014 Ivan Cherniakhovskyi National Defense University of Ukraine. As tht graduate of operational strategic level training he was awarded the transition sword of the Queen of Great Britain.

MILITARY CAREER

• 1997 — 2005 platoon, company, and battalion commander;
• 2007 — 2009 Chief of Staff — First Deputy Commander of the 24th detached motor brigade of the 13th Army Corps of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 2009 — 2012 Commander of 51st detached motor brigade of the 13th Army Corps of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 2015 — 2016 Head of the Combat Training Department — Deputy Commander for Troops Combat Training of the Operational Command “East” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 2016 — 2017 Deputy Commander of the Operational Command “South” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 2017 — 2018 Chief of Staff — First Deputy Commander of the Operational Command “West” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 2018 — 2019 First Deputy Chief of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• 2019 — 2021 Commander of the Operational Command “North” of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• since July 27, 2021 Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.