Zelenskyy met with Zaluzhnyi – Syrskyi became the new Commander-in-Chief
updatedCommander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi reported on a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: he wrote that a decision was made on the need for changes in approaches and strategy and expressed gratitude to those he worked with. Later, Zelenskyy made a corresponding post: he reported that the time for renewing the leadership of the Armed Forces is "right now" and mentioned that he offered Zaluzhnyi to stay on the team.
One source in the General Staff and one source in the President's Office told LIGA.net that the publication of Zelenskyy's decree on Zaluzhnyi's dismissal is expected soon. Later, the President announced the new Commander-in-Chief.
"In the first most difficult days of the Great War, we stood against a vile and powerful enemy. We stood together. Our battle continues and changes every day. The tasks of 2022 are different from the tasks of 2024. Therefore, everyone must change and adapt to new realities as well. To win together," he wrote.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces reported that he met with the President: they had an "important and serious" meeting at which a decision was made on the need for changes in approaches and strategy.
Zaluzhnyi thanked everyone who was by his side: the General Staff team, the Ministry of Defense, and the President.
"I am proud of each and everyone in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are defending the future of our children. All soldiers, sergeants, and officers. I bow to all who have given their lives for Ukraine and freedom. We remember and will avenge everyone. Ukrainians will win," the commander wrote.
Later, Zelenskyy also wrote about the meeting.
"I thanked [Zaluzhnyi] for two years of defending Ukraine. We discussed what updates the Armed Forces of Ukraine need. It was also discussed who could be in the updated leadership of the Armed Forces. The time for such an update is right now," the supreme commander-in-chief reported.
The President said that he offered Zaluzhnyi to continue being on the team.
UPDATED at 18:37. Zelenskyy announced that he has appointed Oleksandr Syrskyi, currently the commander of the Ground Forces, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.