Ukraine in turmoil: dismissal of General Zaluzhny sparks street protests in Kyiv
"Dozens of people gathered in Independence Square in Kyiv, demanding the reinstatement of General Valeriy Zaluzhny," reported TV Belsat, quoting Ukrainian station Hromadske.
In a recording shared by the Ukrainian station, individuals can be heard chanting, "Zaluzhny - our president!"
As the intensity of the protesters' emotions escalated, their chant morphed into, "Zelensky, go away!".
In recent weeks, both Ukrainian and Western media have speculated on the likely dismissal of General Zaluzhny from his post as the commanding general of the army due to a disagreement with President Zelensky.
The discord between the president and the former commander became more pronounced as progress in the war stalled. Zelensky and Zaluzhny started to disagree on how the war should be conducted, which led to their fall out.
"The Economist" highlights that at the start of the invasion, Zelensky declared, "Ukraine values human life over territory". However, he has since shifted his stance, asserting that the "aim is to reclaim all occupied territories". When it became clear that this aim might not be realized, Zelensky's patience with Zaluzhny wore thin. "The president started to feel threatened by the general's popularity," we learn.
Oleksandr Syrsky is the new Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The 58-year-old general is a war veteran from the Donbas region who embarked on his military career during Soviet times.
