Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Warns President Zelensky of Heavy Losses in the Future

According to the Washington Post, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny told President Zelensky that Kiev should prepare for a year of more heavy casualties. The newspaper, citing unnamed Ukrainian officials, said General Zaluzhny presented a bleak outlook when the president informed him that he would soon be fired. When he summoned Zaluzhny to inform him of the dismissal, President Zelensky spoke of the urgency for change at the top level amid growing war-weariness among Ukrainians and waning support from the West.

While calmly accepting the news of his dismissal, General Zaluzhny warned the president that a rapid improvement in Ukraine’s position on the battlefield was unlikely, regardless of his successor, a source said. General Zaluzhny stressed that Kiev should mobilize about 400,000 additional reservists to ensure military parity with Moscow. However, President Zelensky rejected the proposal, citing financial constraints and possible political ramifications.

Earlier this week, several media outlets reported that President Zelensky was ready to fire General Zaluzhny. In recent months, reports have suggested that relations between Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Zaluzhny have deteriorated since the general described the situation on the Ukrainian battlefield as “stalemate” in an interview with The Economist in November 2023. General Zaluzhny’s remarks were strongly denied by the Ukrainian president.

Commenting on rumors of replacing the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on January 31 that this information reflects that the Kiev government has many problems.

He referred to Ukraine's failed counteroffensive, claiming the offensive had produced no significant territorial gains while apparently causing heavy casualties, leading to a growing rift among Kiev's senior officials, both in the military and civilian leadership.