Valery Zaluzhny

Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi ( uk, Вале́рій Фе́дорович Залу́жний; born 8 July 1973) is a Ukrainian four-star general who has served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 27 July 2021. He is also concurrently a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

Zaluzhnyi was 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), Commander of the 51st Guards Mechanized Brigade (2009–2012).

Zaluzhnyi was named by ''Time'' 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 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Biography

In 1989, he graduated from the city school No. 9 and entered the Zviahel Machine-Building Technical School, from which he graduated in 1991 with honors.

He later entered the general military faculty of the Odesa Institute of Land Forces. In 1997 he graduated with honors from the institute, after which he passed all stages of military service: platoon commander, training platoon commander, combat platoon commander, training company commander, cadet company commander, battalion commander.

In 2005 he entered the National Academy of Defense of Ukraine. In 2007 he graduated with a gold medal, was appointed Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade in Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast. He successfully served in this position for two and a half years.

By the decision of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 13 October 2009, he was appointed commander of the 51st separate mechanized brigade. He commanded it until 2012.

In 2014 he graduated from the Ivan Cherniakhovskyi National Defense University of Ukraine. As the best graduate of the operational and strategic level of training, he was awarded the Transitional Sword of the Queen of Great Britain .

In 2017 he was appointed Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the Operational Command West.

In 2018 he was appointed Chief of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – First Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces.

On December 9, 2019, he was appointed Commander of the Operational Command North.

In December 2020 he graduated from the National University Ostroh Academy with a master's degree in International Relations.

On July 27, 2021, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Zaluzhnyi Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He replaced Ruslan Khomchak in this position. The next day he was appointed a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

Zaluzhnyi is widely regarded as an open-minded officer. Representing a new generation of Ukrainian officers, Zaluzhnyi radically departed from established Soviet military practices. One of his first steps in office was to allow the military at the front to open fire in response to the occupiers without the consent of the top leadership and eliminate the need for the military to fill out unnecessary documents.

Regarding his priorities as Commander-in-Chief, Zaluzhnyi said: "The overall course of reforming Ukraine's Armed Forces in line with NATO principles and standards remains irreversible. And the key here is the principles. Changes must take place primarily in the worldview and attitude towards people. I would like you to turn your face to the people, to your subordinates. My attitude towards people has not changed throughout my service."

On November 2, 2021, Zaluzhnyi appointed Dmytro Yarosh, former leader of Right Sector, as his Adviser; however, according to ''Ukrainska Pravda'', Yarosh was dismissed from this position in December 2021, when the (army) post of public advisers was liquidated.

On March 5, 2022, in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lieutenant General Zaluzhnyi was promoted by President Zelenskyy to the rank of General, the highest possible rank in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

International experts give General Zaluzhny high marks for the effectiveness of the command at the front against the Russian military, in particular in Time magazine.

Military ranks

* Major general (23 August 2017)
* Lieutenant general (24 August 2021)
* General (4 March 2022)

Notes

References

Information

генерал-лейтенант ЗАЛУЖНИЙ Валерій Федорович
// ''zsu.gov.ua''

Interview

*
* ''Олександр Штупун,'
«Хочемо відійти від написання бойових наказів зразка 1943 року. Від цих безглуздих доповідей біля карт» — командувач військ ОК «Північ» генерал-майор Валерій Залужний
// ''armyinform.com.ua'', 15 February 2020.

External links

// Радіо Свобода, 27 July 2021.

«Кожен солдат для мене — особистість». Принципи нового головнокомандувача ЗСУ Валерія Залужного
// ''Новинарня'', 27 July 2021.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zaluzhnyi, Valerii
Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine alumni
1973 births
Generals of the Army (Ukraine)
Living people
People from Zviahel
Ukrainian military personnel of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine