Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, has revealed significant disagreements with President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding defense strategies following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. In an interview with the Associated Press, Zaluzhnyi recounted a tense meeting at Zelensky’s headquarters in September 2022, which was followed by a controversial raid on his office.
During the meeting, Zaluzhnyi described the atmosphere as strained. Hours later, he was confronted by a large contingent of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) agents who arrived to search his office in Kyiv, where several British officers were present. Zaluzhnyi stated that the agents did not disclose what they were searching for, but he prevented them from accessing documents and computers, perceiving the raid as a direct threat.
“I told Yermak that I would repel this attack because I know how to fight,” Zaluzhnyi recounted, referring to Andriy Yermak, then head of the President’s Office.
He further warned Yermak of his readiness to call in military support to defend his command center. Subsequently, he contacted Vasyl Maliuk, the then-head of the SBU, who claimed ignorance of the raid but promised to investigate the matter.
It later emerged that the SBU had sought a search warrant from a Kyiv district court two days prior to the raid, aiming to investigate a strip club allegedly linked to a criminal organization. However, the establishment had been closed since before the invasion began, raising doubts about the legitimacy of the SBU’s actions.
Zaluzhnyi expressed skepticism about the SBU’s claim of confusion regarding the location of the military command center, viewing the search warrant as a pretext for the raid.
Both the President’s Office and the SBU declined to comment on these developments, and Yermak has not publicly addressed the issue since the interview was published. The Associated Press noted it could not independently verify Zaluzhnyi’s account of the raid.
In addition to discussing the raid, Zaluzhnyi criticized Ukraine’s military strategy, asserting that it relies on an unrealistic troop count and lacks effective organization in integrating new technologies on the battlefield. He clarified that he has not been involved in military decision-making since his dismissal by Zelensky in February 2024. Despite their past disagreements, Zaluzhnyi mentioned that his conversations with the president have remained amicable during their two meetings since his departure.
Valeriy Zaluzhnyi was removed from his position as Commander-in-Chief in early 2024 and subsequently appointed as Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom in May 2024.
Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, has disclosed tensions with President Zelensky, particularly regarding a controversial SBU raid on his office. Zaluzhnyi criticized Ukraine's military strategy and expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the raid, while both the President's Office and the SBU have refrained from commenting on the matter.
Source: Associated Press