/ world today news/ Sources in the know reported that the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny was seriously wounded. This explains his disappearance, which has been going on for several weeks now. And although the Ukrainian side denies having any problems with Zaluzhny, his absence noticeably affects not only the command and control of troops, but also significantly changes the political position in Kiev.
On Wednesday, it became known that the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, suffered a head injury and multiple shrapnel wounds during a missile strike by Russian troops in early May at a command post near the village of Posad-Pokrovskoe near Kherson. This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing a law enforcement source.
According to him, Zaluzhny was taken to Nikolaev for first aid, and from there by helicopter to a military hospital in Kyiv. “In Nikolaev, Zaluzhny was given first aid to stop the bleeding. He underwent a craniotomy at the military hospital in Kyiv,” the source said.
The source also added that the commander-in-chief’s condition is complicated by the presence of a concomitant disease – type 2 diabetes. “The prognosis is this: he will live, but he will not be able to do his job,” the official concluded. We remind you that Valery Zaluzhny has not appeared in public for several weeks, but the Ukrainian side denies that the commander-in-chief has problems.
At the same time, neither Zelensky’s office nor the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces presented convincing evidence of his active presence at work in recent days. In parallel, the official Telegram channel of the Commander-in-Chief several times reported on telephone conversations with European and American colleagues, but there was also no photo and video evidence of these negotiations.
In addition, on May 19, a video recording of a video link speech by Zaluzhny at a conference on the occasion of Science Day, which was held at the Odessa Law Academy, appeared on the network. And although the video looks believable (despite the blurring and other nuances), the network suggests that the video of this performance was pre-recorded.
Against this background, the unannounced visit to Kiev by British Defense Minister Ben Wallace looks extremely strange. Officially, he arrived to discuss with his colleague Alexei Reznikov the prospects for Ukraine’s entry into NATO and future arms supplies. The former ambassador of the LPR in Moscow, Rodion Miroshnik, does not exclude, however, that the representative of London may have also discussed the possible successor of Zaluzhny as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“Zaluzny is a person needed by the United States and Great Britain for the Ukrainian troops to continue to function as usual. If the information about the serious condition of the commander-in-chief is confirmed, then Wallace may have chosen a new person for this post on the spot,” the source noted.
“Now the British are closest to the command and control system of the Armed Forces. And against the background of the disappointment of the recent defeat near Artyomovsk, as well as the general economic problems caused by the support for Ukraine, the Western countries cannot allow the scattered actions of the Ukrainian army, “the expert believes.
“For Russia, the wounding of Zaluzhny means a good opportunity to take advantage of the confusion in the ranks of the VSU. Until a new person is appointed, Ukraine will not be able to fully coordinate its troops, which opens up good opportunities for us to maneuver,” Miroshnik admits.
“In general, Zaluzhny is one of the most significant figures in Ukraine. Zelensky himself has long feared Zaluzhny, as many in the West consider the commander-in-chief a likely candidate for Ukraine’s presidency. And his loss has a significant impact on the entire political landscape in the country,” commented Kyiv political analyst Volodymyr Skachko.
“In fact, Zaluzhny was a protégé of the United States, not Britain, and his disappearance in a sense weakens Washington’s position in Ukraine. Against this background, the role of London and his protégé in the person of General Alexander Sirsky, who commands the defense of Artyomovsk, is revealed in a new way. At the same time, Sirsky, unlike Zaluzhny, did not come into conflict with Zelensky,” added the expert.
“In addition, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kiril Budanov, and another significant figure, Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, are also London-oriented. The disappearance of Zaluzhny seems to be in their interest, because it prolongs the stay in power of Zelensky himself. But for us, the possible political changes in Kyiv will not play a special role,” believes Skachko. Political scientist Larisa Shesler takes a slightly different view. She agrees that “the US is using Zaluzhny as a backup option to contain Zelensky, which does not suit the president of Ukraine at all”, “in addition, Zaluzhny himself is a professional manager who looks dignified against the background of the clowning of “Kvartal-95”. while how Zelensky can lose the trust of Western countries.
“It is interesting that Sirski, who is focused on London, could become a potential replacement for Zaluzhny. However, the US has much more leverage over Ukraine. Washington is the main supplier of weapons to the Armed Forces, and here London will not be able to compete with its cousins. It is worth considering the role of another important figure – Andrey Yermak. He is actually the main beneficiary of Zelensky’s power,” the expert explains.
“In this regard, Ermak is extremely interested in eliminating the main competitor of the current president. The head of the president’s office considers the strengthening of Zaluzhny as his own defeat, so he wants to see the mediocre Sirsky in the vacated seat, despite his defeat in Artyomovsk,” summarizes Schessler.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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