Zelensky Sacks country’s Top Military chief
Ukraine’s president, Volodmyr Zelensky has replaced his country’s armed forces chef, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
This comes almost 2 years to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and follows speculation about a rift between the president and Gen Zaluzhnyi, who has led the war effort since then.
A presidential decree announced the sack of General Zaluzhnyi, and his replacement by Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The Presidential statement said Zelensky said the high command needed to be “renewed” and that Gen Zaluzhnyi could “remain on the team”.
The hugely -popular Gen Zaluzhnyi reportedly had higher approval ratings than president Zelensky, who the presidential decree says had a “frank conversation” about the changes needed in the army” while appreciating the general for defending Ukraine from Russia.
The Ukrainian leader said his “renewal” of the army’s leadership was “not about surnames” or politics, but rather the management of Ukraine’s armed forces and the experience of battlefield commanders” the statement added.
The new top military chief, General Syrskyi according to the presidential statement, led the defence of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, and masterminded Ukraine’s surprise and successful counter-attack in Kharkiv later in the year.
Source :BBC
