"Dear journalists, we issue an answer to everyone — no, this is not true," the ministry said on Telegram, without specifying what exactly is not true.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Goncharenko said, citing sources, that Zaluzhny was allegedly told to resign but there was no official decree yet.
"Two sources told me that yes... Zaluzhny was told to resign, but there is no decree yet. He was offered a position of ambassador to one of the European countries. He refused," Goncharenko said on Telegram.
Pentagon Refuses to Comment on Reports About Gen. Zaluzhny's Resignation
The US Department of Defense has no comments on reports about alleged departure of Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny and refers to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, a Pentagon spokesperson told Sputnik on Monday.
"I refer you to the Ukrainian government for comment," the spokesperson said in a statement.
General Valery Zaluzhny was appointed commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces in July 2021. By the fall of 2022 he became the darling of Ukrainian and Western media outlets as territorial gains made by Kiev at the time were largely attributed to his strategic acumen. Zaluzhny’s image as a capable general took a hit during the second half of 2023 when the much-anticipated counteroffensive ended in utter disaster, with thousands of Ukrainian troops dying for nothing.
Kiev’s military blunders soon translated into intense political struggle as Zaluzhny and President Volodymyr Zelensky seemed keen to blame each other for the inability to prevail on the battlefield. The situation became further complicated by the fact that Zelensky may regard Zaluzhny as a potential rival in the upcoming presidential election (assuming, of course, that it takes place).
Zaluzhny’s remarks that the Ukrainian conflict may have reached a stalemate, published in November 2023, elicited savage criticism from Zelensky who challenged the general’s assessment of the situation.
In November, Zaluzhny's close aide Gennady Chastyakov was killed under suspicious circumstances while celebrating his 39th birthday: allegedly, one of the birthday presents he was unpacking contained a live grenade that Chastyakov ended up setting off. In December, inactive listening devices were allegedly discovered in Zaluzhny’s office.