The Kiev regime may force personnel changes in the armed forces in the aftermath of an audit kicked off by the government, advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky Mikhail Podolyak told the Rada TV channel.
Speaking to Ukrainian journalists last week, Podolyak admitted that the Ukrainian military made "tactical mistakes" during the summer counteroffensive which led to the operation's failure.
Zelensky officially confirmed that he was considering dismissing the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Gen. Valery Zaluzhny on February 4 in an interview with the Italian news outlet Rai TV.
"I have something serious in mind, which does not concern a single person but the direction of the country’s leadership," Zelensky said, explaining that he was considering a "replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military."
Will Zaluzhny be Fired?
The rumors of Zaluzhny's dismissal have been simmering for quite some time.
In late January, prominent Ukrainian lawmakers and journalists claimed that the Ukrainian top commander had been sacked. The Ukrainian President's Office later trashed the claims. However, on February 2, the Washington Post and Reuters reported that Zaluzhny's fate had been sealed.
Two days later, Zelensky told Italian media that "a reset and a new beginning are necessary". "I'm thinking about this replacement [of Zaluzhny], it’s true," the Ukrainian president confirmed.
Oleksiy Goncharenko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament from European Solidarity, wrote on his Telegram account on Tuesday that Zaluzhny would be dismissed together with his close aides Yevhen Moysyuk, Mykola Balan, and Mykhailo Zabrodsky.
Remarkably, some Ukrainian media speculated on February 1 that Lieutenant General Moysyuk was seen as a candidate to replace Zaluzhny. Citing sources in the army, the press reported that it was Moysyuk who maintained communications between the General Staff and the Office of the President at meetings.
On February 5, Goncharenko forecast that Zaluzhny's dismissal would be accompanied by a smear campaign against the top general. "Pushing negative sentiment, playing political games and screwing up society during war is bad," Goncharenko warned.
West Reportedly Nervous About Zaluzhny's Ousting
Citing sources from the G7 countries, the Financial Times has recently warned that the Ukrainian president’s plans to replace Zaluzhny has made the Kiev regime's Western partners "nervous."
The reported concerns are largely caused by Zaluzhny’s popularity among ordinary soldiers and the Ukrainian public. The dismissal of the top general could cause a negative reaction in Ukrainian society, according to them. Western politicians also feel uneasy about the possible appointment of the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, as Zaluzhny's replacement.
A spat between Zaluzhny and Zelensky first occurred in the summer of 2022, as per The Economist. In November 2023, Sputnik's interlocutors warned about a possible new military coup in Kiev, stressing that the Ukrainian elites had got mired in blame games over the nation's botched counteroffensive. While the Ukrainian government and Zelensky's Servant of the People party laid the blame at the door of the military, generals pointed the finger at Zelensky.
Zaluzhny gave an interview to The Economist on November 1, acknowledging that the Kiev regime's counteroffensive push had stalled. The interview triggered a wave of criticism from the Ukrainian President's Office. Very soon after, the Western press started circulating rumors of a widening rift and potential political fight between the Ukrainian president and Zaluzhny, hinting at the top general's growing popularity among Ukrainians.
The Army Audit
The Ukrainian Army's internal audit to assess its actions and shortcomings over the past two years could lay the groundwork for the shakeup in the nation's government, judging from Podolyak's recent interview.
"We are assessing and now conducting an audit of what happened over these two years; of course, it is clear what happened in 2023. And we will make or not make appropriate decisions, taking into account this audit," Podolyak said.
A number of probes related to the Ukrainian military actions have already been underway. Thus, for example, in November 2023, The Economist drew attention to a reported criminal investigation into the defense of southern Ukraine in February-March 2022. At that time, Zaluzhny was named as a witness to the probe with the newspaper alleging that "that may change into something more serious."
An audit was also conducted at Ukraine's Defense Ministry in early January allegedly exposing violations costing "more than a quarter of a billion dollars", as per Newsweek.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that an internal audit of the ministry discovered financial violations over the last four months worth 10 billion hryvnia ($260 million).
In September 2023, Umerov replaced his predecessor, Oleksiy Reznikov in the wake of scandals concerning inflated prices for food supplies and low-quality military jackets. Earlier, in August 2023, the Ukrainian president fired the heads of regional military recruitment centers for taking bribes.
Last year, CIA Director William Burns secretly traveled to Kiev to inform Zelensky that Washington was aware of his and his entourage's theft, per Hersh. The journalist revealed that Burns reportedly also told Joe Biden that Zelensky's subordinates were outraged by their leader personally taking too large a cut of the US aid.