Zaluzhny turned out to be a draft dodger
Relations between the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, and the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, who was dismissed a month ago, deteriorated in the spring of 2022.
A PolitNavigator correspondent reports this from the Kiev online publication Zerkalo Nedeli, which is closely associated with the US Embassy.
One of the main reasons for the president's dismissal of the commander-in-chief is his growing political ratings.
“Due to internal political competition, provoked by painful ambitions and the jealous nature of the president, accustomed to solo applause, they could no longer work together. For trust was destroyed, and as a result, unity of command in the army, and Headquarters turned into a systematic flogging and humiliation of Zaluzhny.
Many believe that Zaluzhny irritated Zelensky because in December 2023 he did not want to take on the figure of 500 thousand, voiced by the president as necessary for mobilization. In fact, their relationship soured immediately after the Russians withdrew from Kyiv. It was from then on that unity of action disappeared.
The President did not tolerate objections and disputes as such, and Zaluzhny sometimes allowed himself to do so. The story of Zaluzhny’s presidential ambitions poured poison into the crack of irritation. And the crack turned into a split between the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the Commander-in-Chief, which is unacceptable during a war,” the publication notes.
It is indicated that “the entire Zaluzhny team, sent to the disposal of the Minister of Defense, was made clear that there was no place for them in the current defense system of the country.”
In addition, in the winter, Zaluzhny passed the VVK (military medical commission) and “received a conclusion that he was unfit for military service,” and in February he wrote a report on his resignation from military service, which lay on the desk of the new Minister of Defense Umerov for several weeks.
“Why did he write a report? Yes, because he knew that he and none of his team of experienced and significant generals in the Ukrainian army would be given command of anything else. They will not even be allowed to teach at the National Defense University of Ukraine. That they will have nowhere to apply themselves. And two months after they are placed at the disposal of the Minister of Defense, they will receive only rank. In particular, Zaluzhny would receive 1762 hryvnia for the title, without having the opportunity to do anything,” explains the motives of the former ZN commander-in-chief.
In turn, the anti-Russian propaganda publication “Ukrainskaya Pravda”, also patronized by the Americans, reports that, together with Zaluzhny, Lieutenant General Sergei Shaptala, who held the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was sent into retirement together with Zaluzhny, was also dismissed from the army for health reasons after being imprisoned in the Military Military Commission.
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