Kyiv has yet to find a replacement for Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi – The Washington Post
Pravda Ukraine
The Washington Post reports that according to a senior Ministry of Defence official, Kyiv has yet to select a replacement for Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Source: The Washington Post
Details: The publication notes that the replacement for Zaluzhnyi is still being chosen, and the delay causes confusion.
Quote: “The delay suggested indecision among the President, Chief of Administration Andriy Yermak and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, or even disarray, with potential replacements perhaps unwilling to take the job given the slim prospects of improving Ukraine’s battlefield situation any time soon.”
Details: Furthermore, according to one of the sources, “Zelenskyy apparently wants to place Zaluzhnyi in a new position, perhaps in hopes of tempering public disapproval over the removal.” He was offered the position of ambassador, but Zaluzhnyi is unable to resign from the Ukrainian Armed Forces while the country is under martial law.
The publication also notes that the tension in relations between Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyy has increased due to disagreements on mobilisation.
One Ukrainian official told The Washington Post that, while Zaluzhnyi’s deputy may be one of the young officers who demonstrated their effectiveness on the battlefield, they may lack managerial experience. On the other hand, appointing an experienced Commander-in-Chief may bring a “old-school mentality” to the position. The candidates include Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, and Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ground Forces.
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