NewsDismissal of Ukrainian general Valeriy Zaluzhny sparks protests in Kyiv

Dismissal of Ukrainian general Valeriy Zaluzhny sparks protests in Kyiv

TV Belsat, citing the Ukrainian station Hromadske, reported that "dozens of people gathered in Independence Square in Kyiv, demanding the reinstatement of General Valeriy Zaluzhny."

Protest in Kiev against the dismissal of Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. A man holds a sign that reads "bring back Zaluzhnyi".
Protest in Kiev against the dismissal of Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. A man holds a sign that reads "bring back Zaluzhnyi".
Images source: © X | Hromadske

3:57 PM EST, February 9, 2024

In footage released by the Ukrainian station, bystanders could be heard echoing the chant: "Zaluzhny - our president!".

As passions flared, the chants evolved into: "Zelensky, go away!".

In recent weeks, Ukrainian and Western outlets have buzzed with speculation over the likely removal of General Zaluzhny from his role as the commanding general of the army, a result of his conflict with President Zelensky.

The discord between the president and the former commander escalated as the war reached a stalemate. Disagreement over how the war was being waged created friction between Zelensky and Zaluzhny.

"The Economist" highlights that at the onset of the invasion, Zelensky expressed that "Ukraine puts more value on human life than on territory". Recently, however, he altered his stance, arguing that "the goal is to regain all occupied territories." As achieving this aim appeared increasingly elusive, Zelensky's impatience with Zaluzhny grew. "The president felt threatened by the general's popularity," it was reported.

The newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is Oleksandr Syrsky. The 58-year-old general is a Donbas battle-hardened veteran, having commenced his military career during the era of the Soviet Union.

© essanews.com
·

Downloading, reproduction, storage, or any other use of content available on this website—regardless of its nature and form of expression (in particular, but not limited to verbal, verbal-musical, musical, audiovisual, audio, textual, graphic, and the data and information contained therein, databases and the data contained therein) and its form (e.g., literary, journalistic, scientific, cartographic, computer programs, visual arts, photographic)—requires prior and explicit consent from Wirtualna Polska Media Spółka Akcyjna, headquartered in Warsaw, the owner of this website, regardless of the method of exploration and the technique used (manual or automated, including the use of machine learning or artificial intelligence programs). The above restriction does not apply solely to facilitate their search by internet search engines and uses within contractual relations or permitted use as specified by applicable law.Detailed information regarding this notice can be found  here.