Zaluzhnyi is the former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approved the appointment.
Zaluzhnyi was the country's top military general and led the Ukrainian military from July 2021 to February 8, 2024. He was dismissed in February following multiple reports from Ukrainian media outlets that Zelensky was planning on firing him.
Because of his leadership in spearheading the resistance movement against Russia, Zaluzhnyi is widely popular among the military and civilian population, which led to an impassioned public debate over the decision.
In a Telegram post, Zelensky congratulated Zaluzhnyi for his service just before formally announcing the dismissal. He also stated that the former chief commander would continue to be a "part of the team."
On February 8, Zelensky named Oleksandr Syrskyi as the country's new chief commander, ending months of rumors that there was a split in Ukraine's leadership, per the outlet.
A request by the Foreign Ministry has been sent to the UK to approve Zaluzhnyi's appointment.
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