Following months of reports about a rift in Ukraine's political and military leadership, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who had led Ukraine's military since before the full-scale invasion. Zelensky replaced Zaluzhnyi with General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who had previously served as the commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces and the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group fighting in the country's east. When announcing the decision, Zelensky called Syrskyi "the most experienced Ukrainian commander" and recalled the achievements attributed to him — the Battle of Kyiv in spring 2022 and the surprise counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast in September 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed several civilian roles to Valerii Zaluzhnyi before the latter was dismissed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ukrainian journalist Yuriy Butusov reported via Facebook on Feb. 8.
Mykhailo Podoliak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has said that the need to review the military tactics and prevent stagnation on the front was among the reasons Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluyzhnyi had been dismissed.
The Economist has published an article about the dismissal of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the possible consequences of this dismissal for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, recently dismissed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU).