Ukraine's army chief Zaluzhny dismissed, Syrskyi appointed new chief
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After thanking Valery Zaluzhny for his service, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the appointment of Oleksand Syrskyi as the new commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
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In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, shakes hand with Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi during their meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024 (AP)
Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced today the removal of the country's leading commander, Valery Zaluzhny, who has overseen Kiev's forces during the war in the country.
"Today, a decision was made to change the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I am sincerely grateful to Valery Fedorovych (Zaluzhny) for all his achievements and victories," Umerov said on social media.
Moments later, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the appointment of Oleksand Syrskyi as the new commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
The announcement was made shortly after Zelensky met with Zaluzhny and personally thanked him for his service.
"I appointed Colonel General Syrsky as the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces," Zelenskyy said in a video address.
Syrsky, who previously served as the head of Ukraine's ground forces, assumes the role with immediate effect.
Read more: Zaluzhny vs Zelensky: How firing army chief will make President weaker
On Wednesday, a report from Herd revealed that Zelensky announced the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces would be replaced – and he is not the only one.
During an interview for the Italian Rai TV, Zelensky called a cabinet reshuffle a "reset" and a "necessary new beginning" particularly considering the country's leadership, emphasizing he meant "a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military."
Earlier this month, Zaluzhny warned that the country must prepare itself for another year of significant casualties as the war nears its two-year mark.
News on his dismissal were initially issued a week ago by Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko, who announced, as per informed sources, that Zaluzhny was allegedly told to resign. However, no official decree was issued at the time.
"Two sources told me that yes... Zaluzhny was told to resign, but there is no decree yet. He was offered a position of ambassador to one of the European countries. He refused," Goncharenko said on Telegram.
Read more: Russian forces said they secured strategic positions in Donetsk
The news came a day after reports indicated that employees of a Ukrainian arms company collaborated with defense ministry officials to misappropriate nearly $40 million intended for purchasing 100,000 mortar shells for the conflict with Russia, according to Ukraine's security service (SBU).
Five individuals were charged and one person has been detained while attempting to cross the Ukrainian border. If convicted, they could face up to 12 years in prison, the Associated Press reported.
The report noted that the investigation aligns with Kiev's efforts to contain rampant corruption among its ranks in order to expedite its membership to the EU and NATO.
Corruption has been a longstanding issue in Ukraine and has persisted over several decades, but has particularly exacerbated after the country gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
