Since last Monday, Ukraine has been preoccupied with a single rumor: President Volodymyr Zelensky's dismissal of the "beloved" army commander Valery Zaluzhny, especially following weeks of increasing speculation regarding tensions between the two men. Rumors circulated of a meeting held in the Ukrainian president's office last Monday, where Zaluzhny was informed of his dismissal. However, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nikiforov denied these rumors in press statements, confirming that they are untrue. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also posted a brief message on social media stating, "Dear journalists, this is not true," referring to the dismissal of the army commander.
Despite this, two informed sources confirmed that a presidential decree regarding the replacement of the army commander is expected by the end of this week, although he remains in his position as of now, according to CNN. One of the sources revealed that Zelensky informed the prominent commander during a small meeting also attended by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov that he "has made the decision to dismiss him," offering him another position. However, Zaluzhny reportedly declined the offer.
As for the proposed alternative, should Zelensky not retract his dismissal decision, a Ukrainian military commander disclosed that there are two potential names: one is the current head of the intelligence agency, Kyrylo Budanov, who is 38 years old and known for his strong ties with Zelensky. Budanov, seen as representing a new generation of military leaders in the country, declined to comment on whether he was slated to become the new supreme commander of the army, attributing all rumors surrounding the matter to what is known as the "war of rumors."
The second name, seemingly the leading candidate, is Oleksandr Syrskyi, the current commander of ground forces. It is worth noting that if the decision to dismiss Zaluzhny indeed occurs in the coming days, it would be Zelensky's most significant military change since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago. Tensions between Zelensky and his army chief have escalated since the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces launched last year, which has not achieved significant successes on the ground.
