The former chief strategist of the Ukrainian army, Zaluzhny, is heading to the embassy in London

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As reported by the Ukrainian agency Unian, on Thursday morning Zelenskyi issued a decree dismissing Zaluzhny from the army. And that with reference to the general’s state of health.

“Release General Valery Fedorovych Zaluzhny from military service with the right to wear a military uniform – for health reasons,” the quoted decree reads.

Subsequently – by a second decree – he appointed him head of the Ukrainian diplomatic corps in London.

Zaluzhny ended his post as army commander-in-chief on February 8 of this year at a time when the situation on the battlefield was gradually deteriorating: at that time, Kyiv was losing the battle with the Russian occupiers for Avdijivka. The Ukrainian president justified his decision by the failure of the Ukrainian summer counter-offensive, stagnation at the front and the need to change this situation.

However, it was not a secret that the relations between the two main faces of the Ukrainian resistance were already strained at that time. Zelensky should have been annoyed by Zaluzhny’s lukewarm attitude towards his campaign against corruption in the army. Critics of the president pointed out that, while the popularity of the head of state is slightly withering, according to polls, nine out of ten Ukrainians admire Zalužný.

In detail

A few weeks later – at the beginning of March – Zelenskyy announced that he had approved the nomination of a very popular general to the post of Ukrainian ambassador to Great Britain. London did not react to this news, which was to be expected. Before arriving at the mission, each ambassador must obtain a so-called agreement or consent to diplomatic activity from the host country. Until it is granted, however, the process of appointing new ambassadors takes place in a secret regime, which is why the authorities never comment on it.