Overview of the Ukrainian President's dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army

The first clues

On January 31, the Washington Post was the first major media outlet to report that Ukraine was about to replace its armed forces commander, General Zaluzhnyi. Two days later, the newspaper cited two sources familiar with the discussions as saying that the Ukrainian government had informed the White House of Mr. Zelensky’s decision to fire General Zaluzhnyi.

Earlier, on the evening of January 29, rumors spread on social media that General Zaluzhnyi had been fired. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry quickly denied the information posted on social media. In a post on Telegram, the ministry wrote: “Dear journalists, we immediately answer everyone: No, that is not true.” The next day, the Office of the President of Ukraine also denied the accusation that Mr. Zelensky asked General Zaluzhnyi to resign.

In fact, in recent months, reports have suggested that relations between Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Zaluzhnyi have deteriorated since the general described the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine as a “stalemate” in an interview with The Economist. The Ukrainian president’s office has since issued several statements indirectly denying the top general’s claims.

The Ukrainska Pravda newspaper reported on December 4, 2023 that President Volodymyr Zelensky has created parallel communication channels with the commanders of various branches of the military, including the commander of the Ground Forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the commander of the Air Force, General Mykola Oleshchuk, bypassing the commander-in-chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi. According to the newspaper, these direct channels of communication will speed up the work of the president but destabilize the work of the commander of the armed forces, who only learns some information from his official subordinates at meetings of the General Headquarters, if any.

Confirmation and decision of the President of Ukraine

In an interview with Italy's Rai1 TV channel on February 4, Mr. Zelensky spoke for the first time about replacing Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi. The head of state of Ukraine said he was "thinking" about replacing the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, General Zaluzhnyi, and changing the direction of the country's leadership.

“When we talk about this, I think about the rotation of some state leaders, not only in one area, for example, the army. I am thinking about this replacement (of General Zaluzhnyi), but I cannot say that we have replaced someone here…” Mr. Zelensky said.

According to Mr. Zelensky, to win, everyone must be on the same page and believe in victory, not despair or give up, and those people must have the right positive energy. Mr. Zelensky said that is why he spoke about a reset, a replacement, and not just about someone, but also about the direction of the country's leadership.

Four days after that interview, the President of Ukraine said that he and General Zaluzhnyi had a frank discussion about the necessary and urgent changes in the military and that “starting today, a new management team will take over the leadership of the Ukrainian armed forces.” Along with the announcement of General Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal, the President of Ukraine also appointed General Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces, as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, replacing General Zaluzhnyi.

Announcing the decision, the President of Ukraine called General Syrskyi the most experienced commander in the field, and recalled the achievements made under his leadership, including the Kiev defense operation (in the spring of 2022) and the Kharkiv counteroffensive operation (in September 2023). The head of state also confirmed that he expected to see changes in the Ukrainian armed forces soon, including the establishment of an effective rotation system in the army, the resolution of logistical issues, and the need for military commanders to know their fronts well.

Reactions of the parties to the dismissal of General Zaluzhnyi and the appointment of General Syrskyi

- General Zaluzhnyi:

Following the announcement by the President of Ukraine on February 8, General Zaluzhnyi wrote on Telegram: "The tasks of the Ukrainian army in 2022 are very different from the tasks in 2024. Therefore, it is necessary to change and adapt to the new reality." The former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces added that he had "important and serious talks" with President Zelensky and "we decided that we need to change our approach and strategy."

- Advisor to the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak

Mr. Podolyak said that President Zelensky's decision to dismiss General Zaluzhnyi was justified because it was necessary to review the tactics of action that did not ensure adequate results last year and to prevent stagnation at the front line.

- Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov

Mr. Umerov commented on the appointment of General Syrskyi, saying that “leading the Ukrainian armed forces is a great honor and responsibility.”

- Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko

Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko was the one who spoke out to defend General Zaluzhnyi on February 5 after a series of reports about the possibility of General Zaluzhnyi being fired. After the Ukrainian President announced the decision to fire General Zaluzhnyi, Mr. Klitschko said that General Zaluzhnyi was a great man and thanks to General Zaluzhnyi, Ukrainians truly believed in the armed forces. The Kiev Mayor hoped that the government would explain the changes in the leadership of the armed forces, and expressed confidence that General Zaluzhnyi would pass this test with dignity.

- White House National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby

Mr. Kirby stressed that the Ukrainian president has the right to decide who will lead the country's military and said the US will continue to work with their Ukrainian counterparts. Mr. Kirby also rejected claims that the replacement of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces is a sign of "instability" in Ukraine.

- US Assistant Secretary of Defense Celeste Wallander

US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander affirmed on February 8 that Mr. Zelensky is the President of Ukraine and has the right to choose the leader of the Ukrainian army. Ms. Wallander emphasized that the US respects and will work with whoever Mr. Zelensky chooses as Commander-in-Chief of the army and the US side will work effectively with General Oleksandr Syrskyi. Ms. Wallander added that General Syrskyi is “a successful and experienced commander”.