– Today a decision was made on the need to change the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, says Defense Minister Rustam Umarov.
He adds that he is very grateful to Zalozny for all his achievements and victories.
Zelensky says the new defense command will take office on Thursday. Sersky has been commanding Ukrainian ground forces since 2019. He previously led Ukrainian soldiers fighting the Russian-backed insurgency that broke out in Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
Here you can read all about the war in Ukraine
War requires change
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he invited Zalozny to stay “in the team.”
– The war will not remain as it is, Umarov said in a statement referred to by Reuters news agency.
War changes and requires change. The Defense Minister continues that new methods and new strategies are necessary.
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Zalozny himself admits that Ukraine's military strategy “must change and adapt,” AFP reported.
rupture
Zalozny has held the position of Defense Minister since Russia's invasion of Ukraine about two years ago. It has long been speculated whether he will be fired.
The relationship between him and President Zelensky is said to be tense, which worsened after an interview with the Defense Minister. The Economist In November, he described the war against Russian forces as reaching a dead end.
A few days ago, Zelensky gave an interview Time magazine He emphasized that he had good faith in winning the war.
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Support falling
Opinion polls showed declining support for Zelensky, while Zalozny enjoys great confidence among most Ukrainians.
in measurement In a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in December, 18% of respondents said they no longer trusted Zelensky, a sharp increase from the previous year when 5% said the same.
The percentage of those who said they still trust the Ukrainian president decreased at the same time from 84 to 62 percent.
88% of participants in the same poll said they trust Zalozny, and only 2% said they would support the decision to replace the Minister of Defense.
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