REPORT: Ukrainian Army Commander-In-Chief Refuses Zelenskyy’s Order To Step Down

Ukrainian Army Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi refused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s order to step down Monday, sparking speculation the president might have dismissed the general, according to reports.

The two have endured a simmering weeks-long personality clash as Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive against Russia stagnates, but the very possibility of the highly popular Zaluzhnyi being ordered to step down shocked many, the Guardian reported Tuesday.

“Personally I think this is a bad idea. There are not fundamental issues between them but Zelenskiy’s office has been concerned that Zaluzhnyi has been making political not military statements,” Oleksii Goncharenko, a Ukrainian opposition MP and supporter of Zaluzhnyi, told The Guardian. He reportedly added that Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, could replace the general, provided Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov gives support.

Umerov dismissed the speculations swirling on social media. “Dear journalists, we immediately answer everyone: No, this is not true,” he said Monday afternoon, according to the Guardian.