Who is Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the popular “iron general” who is in command of the Ukrainian counteroffensive

The long-awaited attempt to Ukraine to recover the eastern and southern territories of the country, occupied by Russia for the last 18 months, is now in full swing.

A key figure in the planning and execution of this operation is the General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine49 years old.

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Little known until not long ago, his popularity now rivals that of the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zaluzhnyi, or “our Valera” as his friends and old classmates like to call him, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army in July 2021.

Those who know him well say the appointment, urged personally by Zelensky, came as a surprise to the general and many others, as it took him up several rungs on the military ladder.

Zaluzhnyi was already known as a ambitious and modern commanderbut also as an unassuming man who liked to joke with his subordinates and didn’t give himself an air of superiority.

Within seven months he was leading the defense of the Ukraine against a full-scale invasion.

By February 26, 2022, it was clear that Russian troops were failing to “take Kyiv in three days”, which initially seemed like a likely outcome.

But the reality remained bleak and the Ukrainian authorities asked the population not to panic. Russian troops were advancing in the north, east and south of Ukraine and posed a considerable threat to the capital.

Destroyed Russian vehicles now litter the Kyiv suburbs, where General Zaluzhnyi’s troops halted their advance. (GETTY IMAGES).

One idea floating around among top Ukrainian officials was to start blowing up bridges near Kyiv over the vast Dnieper River.

In this way, they intended to prevent the Russians from crossing from the eastern left bank to the western right bank, where, among other strategic objectives, the area of ​​government buildings was located.

They called Zaluzhnyi to ask his opinion. “Under no circumstances should we do that,” he is said to have replied, sitting in a smoke-filled bunker with other top brass.

“This will be a betrayal for both the civilians and the military who remain on the east bank,” he added.

The BBC has heard matching accounts from two sources involved in the episode that this is what happened.

Many other crucial decisions followed, and in early April 2022, Ukrainian troops pushed the Russian army north and east of Kyiv.

Far from Soviet military influence

Valerii Zaluzhnyi, born into the family of a Soviet military man, once said that he was always committed to distance themselves from the excessive hierarchy of the Soviet army.

When he went to military school in the mid-1990s, Ukraine was already an independent state.

While his textbooks at the military college may have dated back to the Soviet era, he learned about the reality of war firsthand.

In 2014 he was appointed deputy commander in an area in eastern Ukraine where the conflict with separatists backed by the Russian army.

Colleagues we spoke to say that from the beginning of his career he was interested in Build trusting relationships with your subordinatesas well as in delegate command decisions.

Zaluzhnyi’s former aide who was by his side in the early days of the Russian invasion, Lyudmyla Dolhonovska, told the BBC the man barely slept and kept in touch with military personnel on the front lines.

“He talked a lot on the phone with his generals, but the conversations were always focused and calm,” he said.

Analysts say the flexibility shown by Ukrainian units with junior officers capable of making battlefield decisions gave them a considerable advantage over the decision-making structures of the Russian army.

Some sources in the Ukrainian military even go so far as to say that it is the decisive commanders on the ground who are collectively responsible for Ukraine’s successes, while General Zaluzhnyi should only be credited with leaving them the freedom to operate.

The Zaluzhnyi Approach

As the war progressed, President Zelensky played a key role in maintaining the morale of the Ukrainian public through his late-night speeches.

He promoted a strong government image while putting pressure on foreign partners for financial and military support.

Zaluzhnyi concentrated on getting the military strategy right.

After successful advances late last summer and early fall, Ukrainian troops liberated large tracts of their country’s territory in the east and south.

The commander-in-chief became a National herodespite the fact that he was rarely seen in public and even more rarely agreed to interviews.

His name became synonymous with bravery and determination, and his reputation generated anecdotes and phrases.

“When Zaluzhnyi enters a room without light, he does not turn on the light, he turns off the darkness,” said one such phrase.

Their popularity ratings were on par with Zelensky’s, and conspiracy theorists began to speculate about a possible rift between them.

There was talk of Zelensky replacing Zaluzhnyi as military chief or even Zaluzhnyi challenging the president’s political leadership.

So far, it hasn’t happened either.

General Valerii Zaluzhnyi never served in the Soviet Army and has stayed away from the Soviet-style military hierarchy. (UKRAINE ARMY).

A presidential cabinet source told the BBC that “Zelensky simply has no time for such jealousy, as he is 102% concerned with getting military support for Ukraine from his partners.”.

The two men seem content to let each other do their job.

Zaluzhnyi told the magazine Time last June that he did not bother to explain to Zelensky all the minute details of military strategy.

“You don’t need to understand military matters any more than you need to know about medicine or bridge building,” he said.

in the russian sight

Political analysts and sociologists told the BBC that Zaluzhnyi’s popularity is natural in the current situation where Ukrainians need ways to boost morale. They also highlight his human touch.

He once showed up at the wedding of a soldier forced to delay the ceremony because he had been sent to the front lines in Bakhmut. Finally, the soldier was given a short period of leave in order to have the opportunity to marry his fiancée.

As talk of a forthcoming Ukrainian offensive intensified, Russian military bloggers circulated rumors in mid-May that Zaluzhnyi had been badly wounded or even killed.

This was picked up by Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Sergei Narishkin, who said: “Of course, we have all the information about the Ukrainian army commander’s state of health, but we will not divulge it.”

Colonel Anatoliy Shtefan, close to Zaluzhnyi, said that although Ukraine’s top brass scoffed at the rumours, describing it as “the height of Russian propaganda madness”, it was clear that Ukrainians were beginning to worry too.

In early June, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry published several photos of Zaluzhnyi attending a military ceremony in Kyiv.

Colonel Anatoly Shtefan posted a photo with Valerii Zaluzhny to silence rumors that the general was injured. (COLONEL ANATOLY SHTEFAN).

For now, Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s hero status among Ukrainians is secure, but with so many pinning their hopes on the commander-in-chief, the future is likely to be difficult.

Even if Ukraine’s defense ultimately succeeds, the country will face a harsh reality, warns sociologist Oleksiy Antypovych, and Zaluzhnyi may choose to stay away from politics.

“It is very likely that, after the war, Ukraine will face a serious economic crisis, if not a total collapse. It will be a completely different game,” he opined.

Political analyst Mykola Davydiuk believes that if the warlord went into politics, he could succeed.

“While Zelensky is a leader who did not abandon the Ukrainians, Zaluzhnyi was the one who stood up for them. It is a natural narrative for him and there is a demand for it in our society,” he said.

The BBC asked General Zaluzhnyi for an interview, but he refused the request.

Source: Elcomercio