Volodymyr Zelensky Makes New Appointments in the Country's Armed Forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed new deputy chiefs of the General Staff and Armed Forces of Ukraine. This information has been reported by Ukrainian media.

The new deputies of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi are Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi and Colonel Andrii Lebedenko. Additionally, the president has approved the candidacies of Brigadier Generals Volodymyr Horbatiuk, Oleksii Shevchenko, and Mykhailo Drapati for the positions of deputy chiefs of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Earlier, the former Chief Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi made his first public statement following his resignation. In his Telegram channel, he referred to receiving the title of Hero of Ukraine as a "honor and responsibility." He stated, "...I serve and will serve the Ukrainian people with devotion and gratitude."

Zaluzhnyi's resignation, who had led the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2021, was announced on February 8. President Zelensky thanked him for "two years of defense" and for "every victory we achieved together." The position of Supreme Commander has now been taken up by Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine's land forces. According to Zelensky, Syrskyi has a "successful defense experience," having conducted the "defensive operation of Kyiv," as well as "successful offensive experience" from leading battles in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022.