General Valeri Zalouzhny, 49, is the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. GLEB GARANICH / POOL / AFP
PORTRAIT – Valery Zalouzhny, who was appointed supreme commander of Ukraine’s armed forces in 2019 and is described as close to his men, orchestrated the Kharkiv, Lyman and Kherson victories.
War should have no heroes. As if you want to portray the armed people as the saviors of the country. “A communication strategy that enables group cohesion,” says Yohann Michel, research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). And then Valeri Zaloujny, 49, son of a soldier, slightly chubby round head, steel blue eyes, is not the type to put himself in the limelight. However, his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces leads him to coordinate all operations. The Russian defeat in Kyiv at the beginning of the invasion is largely attributed to him, as well as the victorious counter-offensive in Kharkiv (northeast) and the advance on Kherson (south).
But unlike the Russian army, its subordinates enjoy considerable autonomy. “Zaloujny coordinates and allows for some flexibility for the commanders of the operational areas,” adds Yohann Michel. This method, which differs from Soviet teaching, comes from both…
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