On 7 March 2024, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the former commander-in-chief, as the next Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry announced on 7 March.
On 8 February, Zelenskyy appointed Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, 50, a Ukrainian four-star general, served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 27 July 2021 until 8 February 2024. He is also concurrently a member of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
General Zaluzhnyi was previously the Commander of the North Operational Command (2019–2021), Chief of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, First Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces (2018), Chief of Staff, First Deputy Commander of the West Operational Command (2017), and Commander of the 51st Guards Mechanized Brigade (2009–2012).
Zaluzhnyi was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022. He has received praise for his skill at “adapting to a fast-changing battlefield” through effective delegation and information gathering during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Zaluzhnyi was awarded the Hero of Ukraine medal, the highest state award from the President of Ukraine.
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