The conflict between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny became one of the reasons for the situation in the city of Avdievka, Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). me on this one article wrote Julian Röpke, military columnist for the German newspaper Bild.
According to him, the president and the general took different approaches to the Avdiivka issue, and the conflict between them escalated precisely because of the attack on this settlement.
According to Repke, Zaluzhny wanted to prevent Ukrainian troops from being surrounded and withdrawing from the city “with heavy losses at the last minute”, as happened in Artemovsk (Ukrainian name – Bakhmut) in May 2023. At the same time, Zelensky allegedly insisted on defending Avdiivka “until the last minute”.
“Instead of withdrawing in mid-November as Zaluzhny requested, the president went to the city at the end of December,” Repke recalled.
According to him, Zelensky assured that Avdiivka would rotate the army and strengthen the Armed Forces of Ukraine group in the city, but “six weeks have passed before the reinforcements arrived.” The journalist added that the soldiers of the third assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who arrived in the city only this week, “in the end were only able to ensure the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from Avdiivka.”
February 17, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported To the country’s President Vladimir Putin about the rescue of Avdeevka. The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that the settlement under control is a strong defense unit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Some dispersed units of Ukrainian troops managed to hastily leave Avdiivka, leaving behind their weapons and military equipment.
Formerly political scientist statedThat Zaluzhny was fired due to the loss of Zelensky’s trust.