Ukraine’s president confirms plans for military shake-up
Al Jazeera
Speculation over the future of army chief Valery Zaluzhny has been rife as war’s second anniversary nears.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he plans to reshuffle Ukraine’s military and political leadership.
The comments, on Italian RAI TV in an interview broadcast late on Sunday, follow weeks of speculation that Zelenskyy intends to dismiss Valery Zaluzhny, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s military.
“A reset, a new beginning is necessary” and it is “not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership”, Zelenskyy said.
“I’m thinking about this replacement,” he said, “but you can’t say here we replaced a single person.”
Zaluzhny, who was appointed by Zelenskyy months before Russia invaded in February 2022, is popular with troops and the wider population. He has denied speculation that he has political ambitions.
