President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his daily video address to his compatriots on Thursday justified the change in the leadership of the Armed Forces, saying that there is a “sense of stagnation” in the fight against the Russians and that “we need a different approach, especially in conditions of rotations.” “Everyone whose experience will serve to update the Armed Forces is carefully selected,” Zelenskyy said.

• “Today I decided to update the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” announced Zelenskyi, who said he had “an honest discussion with Zaluzhny about what needs to be changed in the army,” noting that it was about “urgent changes.”

• “Dear people! Starting today, the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is changing to a new leadership. I want our soldiers from Robotiny or Avdiyivka, the General Staff and the General Staff to have the same vision of war,” Zelensky said in his video speech, News.ro reports.

• “I am grateful to General Zalujna for two years of protection. I am grateful for every victory we won together, and I thank all Ukrainian soldiers who are heroically enduring this war,” Zelenskyy said in his speech on Thursday evening.

He clarifies that he offered General Zaluzhny to continue being part of the Ukrainian state team. “I would be grateful for his consent,” says the president.

The Ukrainian leader notes that in a conversation with Zaluzhny, one of the “hundreds” of conversations he had with him during the war, he analyzed the situation at the front. “We discussed the front line. Threats, directions, all challenges. Avdiivka – extraordinary actions of our soldiers and extraordinary difficulties in the defense of the city. The Zaporozhye direction is very difficult. Southern directions are challenges for the Kharkiv region. Powers of Ukraine c.r. The third year of total war,” the president summed up.

The sense of stagnation and difficulties of hostilities in Donetsk affected the mood of the population

At the same time, Zelensky explained that each year of the war, which began on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, had its own character, and the year 2024 should be decisive for achieving Ukraine’s goals.

• “The experience of two years of war has convinced us that only the defeat of Russia brings peace closer. Russia cannot simply accept the existence of an independent Ukraine, the very fact of our country’s independence. But Russia will have to get used to our strength,” said Zelensky, describing each year of the war.

• “I survived the first year. We began to reclaim our territory. We proved to the world that Russia can lose. In the second year of this war, we captured the Black Sea. Conquered the winter. We proved that we can regain control over the Ukrainian skies. But, unfortunately, we failed to achieve our country’s goals on the ground,” Zelenskyy admits, referring to the failure of the counteroffensive launched in the summer.

• “We must be frank: the feeling of stagnation in the southern regions and the difficulties of hostilities in the Donetsk region affected the mood of the population. Ukrainians talk less about victory. But the Ukrainian spirit did not lose confidence in victory. Ukraine retains its historical chance. Our duty is to use it,” the president emphasizes.

• “This year should be the time of Ukraine – the time when every Ukrainian soldier will know, as before, that the Ukrainian state and the Ukrainian army are capable of victory,” he adds before announcing new changes in the leadership of the army.

Zelensky claims that “it’s not about politics”

• “It’s not about the name. And, above all, it’s not about politics,” Zelensky emphasized. “It is about the system of our army, about management in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and about involving the combat experience of commanders from this war. Every soldier, every sergeant and every officer who sees the front line understands what decisions are needed. The actions of the army must be much more technologically advanced. Great powers at all levels must know and feel the front line, as well as soldiers on the ground,” Zelenskyi explains the reasons why he decided to make changes in the leadership of the army.

• “Combatant commanders in this war, commanders on the ground must apply their special experience at the level of the entire army – in the leadership,” Zelenskyy says, preparing the ground for the statement that the commander of the ground forces, General Oleksandr Sirskyi Fortress, is the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army. replacing Valery Zaluzhny.

The president said that currently almost a million people have been drafted into the Ukrainian army, but currently, according to him, most of them have not experienced the front as much as the minority who are on the front lines are actually fighting.

• “It means we need a different approach, especially in terms of rotations. Another approach to advanced management. A different approach to mobilization and recruitment. All this will add more respect to the soldier and return clarity to the war,” Zelenskyi emphasizes.

Zelensky called Oleksandr Syrsky “the most experienced Ukrainian commander”

• “Everyone whose experience will serve to renew the Armed Forces is carefully selected. I had dozens of conversations with commanders of various levels. In particular, today I spoke with Brigadier Generals Andrii Hnatov, Mykhailo Drapaty, Igor Skybyuk, and Colonels Pavlo Palisa and Vadym Sukharevskiy,” he noted. “All of them are being considered for leading military positions and will serve under the leadership of Ukraine’s most experienced military commander – the combat commander, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi. He has successful work experience in the defense sector, managed the Kyiv defense operation. He also has successful offensive experience – the operation to liberate Kharkiv. I appointed Colonel-General Sirskyi to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Zelenskyi told his compatriots.

• General Syrskyi has been appointed the commander-in-chief of the army instead of Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskyi said

He noted that he expects other changes in the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the near future and called for the development of a “realistic and detailed action plan of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for 2024”, which takes into account the real situation on the battlefield, now and prospects.

What problems would Zelensky reveal?

The president also gave some guidance on the new plan, while highlighting the problems and dysfunctions he found:

– Each front-line combat brigade must receive effective Western weapons – there must be a fair redistribution of these weapons in favor of the front line.

– Logistical problems must be solved. Avdiyivka should not wait for the generals to find out where their drones are stuck in warehouses, Zelenskyi said.

– Every general should know the front line. If the general does not know the front line, he does not serve Ukraine, the president warns.

– It is necessary to correct excessive and unjustified staff numbers.

– We must build an effective system of rotations in the army. The experience of individual combat brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and units of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, where such a system exists, can be used as a basis. Rotations are mandatory.

– There is an obvious need to improve the quality of training of fighters – only fighters ready for the front line.

Zelenskyi reminded that a new type of troops is being created in the Armed Forces, a unit dedicated to drones, which he announced earlier this week – unmanned systems troops. The first commander must be appointed, Zelenskyy said, noting that the new army chief, General Sirsky, will present his team in the coming days “to restart the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

• “The year 2024 can be successful for Ukraine only if there are effective changes in the center of our defense, which is the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are all proud of our army and must do everything in our power to make the Ukrainian army a victorious army. Thank you to each of you who believe in Ukraine, fight for Ukraine, work for our victory and help – help Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine!” Volodymyr Zelensky concluded Thursday’s evening video address.

Read also:

Who is Oleksandr Syrsky nicknamed “Snow Leopard” – the new head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine