Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelenskiy calls for changes in military leadership

The senior general in Kyiv should stay “on his team,” but the moment has come for changes in the military’s leadership, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who met with Army Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi on Thursday.

The announcement comes after days of speculation that Zelenskyi was thinking of firing his well-liked army leader, who is revered as a national hero in Ukraine for leading the war effort since February 2022.

“We discussed what renewal the Armed Forces of Ukraine need. We also discussed who could be in the renewed leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The time for this renewal is now,” Zelenskiy said in a statement on social media platform Telegram.

Zaluzhnyi took a decision to alter combat tactics and strategy after having a “important and serious conversation” with Zelenskiy, according to a separate statement he had released.

“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 too,” his statement on Telegram messenger said.