“The war does not remain the same.
War changes and demands change. New approaches and new strategies are needed. Today, a decision was made on the need to change the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” defence minister Rustem Umerov said in a statement.
The announcement came hours after Zelenskyy said he had met outgoing army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
Tasks of 2022 different from tasks of 2024: Outgoing army chief
There had been speculation that Zelenskyy was considering dismissing his popular army chief who is seen by many Ukrainians as a national hero for overseeing the war effort since February 2022.
“We discussed what renewal the Armed Forces of Ukraine need. We also discussed who could be in the renewed leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The time for this renewal is now,” Zelenskyy said in a statement.
In a separate statement, Zaluzhnyi said he had an “important and serious conversation” with Zelenskyy and that a decision had been made to change battlefield tactics and strategy.
“The tasks of 2022 are different from the tasks of 2024. Therefore, everyone must change and adapt to new realities as well. To win together too,” he said.
Who is Oleksandr Syrskyi?
Zelenskyy said the new army chief has “successful defence experience” in Kyiv and “successful experience of the offensive” in Kharkiv.
Syrskyi led the defence of Kyiv at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
He was the mastermind behind Ukraine’s surprise and successful counter-attack in Kharkiv that summer and has since been serving as the head of military operations in eastern Ukraine – one of the two main axes in Ukraine’s counter-offensive.
(With inputs from agencies)
