The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has denied recent claims made by officials and journalists that President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valeriy Zaluzhny. In a statement released on their Telegram channel, the Ministry addressed these allegations, stating, “Dear journalists, we immediately respond to everyone: No, this is not true.”
Earlier, former Ukrainian Parliament member Borislav Bereza had suggested that President Zelensky had dismissed Zaluzhny from his position. Shortly after, journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk, who has been labeled a foreign agent in Russia, claimed that Zelensky had appointed the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kirill Budanov, as the new Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Zaluzhny.
Furthermore, political analyst Dmitry Zhuravlev speculated that Alexander Sursky, the Commander of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, could potentially replace Zaluzhny as the head of the Ukrainian army.
Previously, a former CIA employee had suggested a possible reason behind Zelensky’s desire to replace the Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
