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Valerii Zaluzhnyi became the main commander of the Ukrainian defense
Item Information
- Author: Oksana Torop, Svyatoslav Khomenko and Kateryna Khinkulova
- Rolle, from the BBC World Service
June 16, 2023
Ukraine’s longawaited attempt to retake the country’s eastern and southern territories, which have been occupied by Russia for the past 18 months, is now in full swing.
A key figure in planning and executing this operation is General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the 49yearold Supreme Commander of Ukraine.
His popularity, little known until recently, has now rivaled that of the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zaluzhnyi, or “our Valera” as his friends and former colleagues like to call him, was appointed commander of the Ukrainian army in July 2021.
Those who know him well say that the appointment personally requested by Zelenskyi came as a surprise to the general and many others, as it took him several notches up the military ladder.
Zaluzhnyi was already known as an “ambitious and modern commander”, but also as “an unpretentious man who liked to joke with his subordinates and gave no semblance of superiority”.
Within seven months he was leading the defense of Ukraine against a fullscale invasion.
On February 26, 2022, it became clear that Russian troops would not be able to “take Kiev in three days”, which at first seemed a likely result.
However, the reality remained grim and Ukrainian authorities urged the population not to panic. Russian troops advanced in the north, east and south of Ukraine, posing a significant threat to the capital.
One idea circulating among senior Ukrainian officials was to start blowing up bridges across the vast Dnieper River near Kiev.
In this way, they wanted to prevent the Russians from crossing from the eastern left bank to the western right bank, where the zone of government buildings was located, among other strategic objectives.
The government called Zaluzhnyi to ask his opinion. “We shouldn’t do that under any circumstances,” he is said to have replied while sitting with other highranking personalities in a smoky bunker.
“This will be a betrayal for both the civilians and the military who remain on the east bank,” he added.
The BBC heard reports from two sources involved in the episode.
Many more crucial war decisions followed, and in early April 2022 Ukrainian troops pushed the Russian army north and east of Kiev.
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Destroyed Russian vehicles lie around in the suburbs of Kiev
Far from Soviet military influence
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who was born into a Soviet military family, once said that he had always vowed to distance himself from the Soviet Army’s exaggerated hierarchy.
When he attended military school in the mid1990s, Ukraine was already an independent state.
Although the textbooks from his military colleges may date from the Soviet era, he experienced the reality of war firsthand.
In 2014, he was appointed deputy commander in an area in eastern Ukraine where conflict with Russian armybacked separatists began.
Colleagues we spoke to say that from the beginning of his career he was interested in building trusting relationships with his subordinates and delegating command decisions.
Zaluzhnyi’s former adviser, who stood by his side in the early days of the Russian invasion, Lyudmyla Dolchonowska, told the BBC that the man hardly slept and kept in touch with soldiers at the front.
“He talked a lot on the phone with his generals, but the conversations were always focused and calm,” he said.
Analysts say the flexibility of Ukrainian units, with young officers capable of making decisions on the battlefield, has given them a significant advantage over the Russian army’s decisionmaking structures.
Some sources in the military say that it is the field commanders who are responsible for Ukraine’s successes in the war, while General Zaluzhnyi should only be held responsible for allowing them freedom of action.
Credit, Army of Ukraine
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Valerii Zaluzhnyi never served in a Soviet army
The “Zaluzhnyi Approach”
During the course of the war, President Zelenskyy played a key role in maintaining the morale of the Ukrainian people through his latenight speeches.
He promoted a strong government image while pushing for foreign partners for financial and military support. Zaluzhnyi focused on getting military strategy right.
After successful advances in late summer and early fall, Ukrainian troops liberated large parts of their country’s territory to the east and south.
The supreme commander became a national hero, although he was seldom seen in public and even more rarely willing to give interviews.
His popularity ratings were on par with Zelensky’s, and conspiracy theorists began speculating about a possible split between them.
During the war there were even rumors that Zaluzhnyi might challenge the president’s political leadership. So far this has not happened.
A source in the President’s Office told the BBC that “Zelenskyy just doesn’t have time for such jealousy as his 102% concern is getting military support for Ukraine.”
The two men seem content to let each other do their jobs.
Zaluzhnyi told Time magazine last June that he didn’t bother to explain every detail of military strategy to Zelenskyy.
“You don’t need to know anything about military affairs any more than you do about medicine or bridge building,” he said.
in the Russian sights
Credit, COL. ANATOLIY SHTEFAN
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Colonel Anatoly Shtefan published a photo with Valerii Zaluzhny to silence rumors that the general was wounded.
Political analysts and sociologists told the BBC that Zaluzhnyi’s popularity is a given in the current situation, when Ukrainians need ways to boost morale.
In midMay, as rumors of a future Ukrainian offensive grew, Russian bloggers began spreading rumors that Zaluzhnyi had been badly wounded or even killed.
This was picked up by Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergey Narishkin, who said: “Of course, we have all the information about the health of the commander of the Ukrainian army, but we will not publish it.”
Colonel Anatoliy Shtefan, a confidant of Zaluzhnyi, said that while Ukraine’s top leadership scoffed at the rumors, calling them “the pinnacle of Russian propaganda madness,” it was clear that Ukrainians were also beginning to worry make.
In early June, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry released several photos of Zaluzhnyi attending a military ceremony in Kiev.
For now, Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s hero status among Ukrainians is secure, but with so many pinning their hopes on the supreme commander, the future looks set to be difficult.
Even if Ukraine’s defense succeeds, the country will face a harsh reality, sociologist Oleksiy Antypovych warns, and Zaluzhnyi may choose to stay away from politics.
“It is very likely that postwar Ukraine will face a severe economic crisis, if not total collapse. It’s going to be a completely different game,” he said.
Political analyst Mykola Davydiuk believes that the warlord could succeed if he entered politics.
“Whereas Zelenskyi is a leader who has not failed the Ukrainians, Zaluzhnyi was the one who stood up for them. It’s a natural narrative for him, and there’s a demand for it in our society,” he said.
The BBC asked General Zaluzhnyi for an interview, but he declined the request.