Zelensky in the center and to his left is the new commander of the Ukrainian army (French)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky decided to dismiss Ukrainian Army Commander Valery Zalogny and replace him with Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Sirsky, at a time when Russian forces have the upper hand nearly two years after the start of the war.

Zelensky described the new commander as "the most experienced general in Ukraine," noting that he led the defense of the capital, Kiev, at the beginning of the war, and then the counterattack in the fall of 2022, which led to the liberation of the Kharkiv region.

Zalogny's replacement came after months of disagreements between Zelensky and the army chief, whom many Ukrainians consider a national hero.

“As of today, a new management team takes over the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a statement.

Sersky, the commander of the ground forces, takes command amid a state of great uncertainty as Kiev awaits vital military aid from the United States that was delayed due to a political dispute there several months ago.

the strong man

Opinion polls showed Ukrainians' confidence in Zalogny, nicknamed the Iron General, at more than 90%, much higher than Zelensky, whose popularity was estimated at 77% late last year.

Zalogny (50 years old) took office a few months before the start of the Russian war on Ukraine in February 2022. The Ukrainian forces under his command prevented a comprehensive invasion of the country, and were later able to regain some of the occupied areas.

Zelensky said that he met with Zaloghny to discuss changes in the military leadership, noting that he asked the general to remain “within his team.”

Zaloghny said in a separate statement that he had “important and serious conversations” with Zelensky and they made the decision to change some battle tactics and strategies.

“The tasks of 2022 are different from the tasks of 2024,” Zaloghny’s statement said, “so everyone must change and adapt to new realities.” So we can win together."

The statements of Zelensky and Zaloghny were published around the same time, suggesting that Ukraine's two most prominent wartime figures closely coordinated to show unity.

Source: Agencies