This is a major change that was the subject of persistent rumors. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday replaced the popular commander-in-chief of his armies, Valery Zaluzhny, with Oleksandr Syrsky, a lesser-known general. “Today, the decision was made to change the command of the Ukrainian armed forces,” said Defense Minister Roustem Umerov, saying he was “grateful” to Valery Zalouzhny.
Oleksandr Syrsky is the “most experienced general in Ukraine”, according to Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian president stressed that he had commanded the defense of kyiv at the start of the Russian invasion almost two years ago, then the counter-offensive in the fall of 2022 which liberated the Kharkiv region (north-east) . Valery Zaloujny, 50, was appointed in July 2021.
Information to remember
⇒ Russia indicates this Friday that it neutralized 19 Ukrainian drones during the night
⇒ Putin says Russia cannot be defeated in Ukraine
⇒ Moscow and kyiv exchange 100 prisoners of war from each side
Replacing Ukrainian General Zaluzhny will not change the course of the conflict
The replacement of Ukrainian general Valery Zaluzhny by Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief of Ukrainian forces will not change the course of the conflict with Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
“We do not believe that these are factors that can change the course of the special military operation. It will continue until the objectives are achieved,” Peskov told reporters during his briefing. daily.
Russia declares having neutralized 19 Ukrainian drones overnight
Russia indicated this Friday that it had neutralized 19 Ukrainian drones overnight in four different regions and above the Black Sea, the attack having notably targeted energy infrastructure. “An attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack with 19 aerial drones against sites on Russian territory was prevented,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. “Air defense systems intercepted and destroyed drones in the regions of Kursk (2), Bryansk (5), Oryol (4), Krasnodar (2) and over the Black Sea (6),” a- he clarified.
In the Oryol region (around 300 km southwest of Moscow), the attack targeted energy infrastructure sites, without causing any casualties, regional governor Andrei Klychkov wrote on Telegram. In the Krasnodar region (south), a fire broke out overnight at the Ilsky oil refinery, according to a statement from the local emergency services, which however did not make a link between this incident and the attack of drones. This refinery had already been targeted by a drone attack last year.
Putin says Russia cannot be defeated in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin told conservative American journalist Tucker Carlson, in a long interview broadcast on Thursday, that a defeat for Russia in Ukraine was “impossible”. “So far there has been the ranting and shouting about (the need) to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield,” he told the former Fox host. News.
“But now they seem to realize that it is difficult to achieve, if not impossible. In my opinion, it is impossible by definition. It will never happen. It seems to me that now, those who are in power in the West are are also aware,” added the man who launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “If this realization has been well understood, they must think about what comes next. We are ready for this dialogue,” he said. he rocks. The words of the master of the Kremlin, who spoke in Russian, were dubbed into English.
US Congress takes one (small step) to help Ukraine
The American Congress took a first timid step on Thursday towards the release of envelopes for Ukraine and Israel, but their future remains very uncertain, with parliamentarians close to Trump refusing to give a single additional dollar for kyiv. After months of tough negotiations, the Senate finally agreed to examine a text that would release more than 60 billion dollars for Ukraine and 14 billion for Israel, a first step in a process strewn with pitfalls.
Two years after the start of the Russian invasion, elected officials from the United States, the main military supporter of Ukraine, have been unable to agree on the validation of new funds. The Democrats are, in the vast majority, in favor. The Republicans are divided between interventionist hawks, pro-Ukraine, and lieutenants of Donald Trump, who are much more isolationist.
In the middle of the presidential campaign, the equation has transformed into a standoff between Joe Biden, who urgently demands these new funds, and Donald Trump, who claims that if he were re-elected in November, he would settle the war between Russia and Ukraine “in 24 hours”, without really explaining how.
Thursday’s vote in the Senate is good news for supporters of aid to Ukraine. “This is a very important first step to continue supporting Ukraine in its victory,” welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky. But the hardest part remains to be done. After examining the text, senators will perhaps decide in the coming days on this large envelope in a final vote and send it to the House of Representatives, which will in turn examine it.
Russia and Ukraine exchange 100 prisoners of war from each side
Russia and Ukraine announced Thursday that they had exchanged 100 prisoners of war from each side, more than a week after an operation of this type involving several hundred soldiers. “On February 8, following negotiations, 100 Russian servicemen who were in danger of death in captivity returned from the territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In return, 100 prisoners of war from the Ukrainian forces were handed over,” indicated the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the return of “100 Ukrainians”. “Most of them are defenders of Mariupol,” he added, referring to this Ukrainian city taken by the Russians after a bloody siege in 2022. This is the 51st exchange of this type, according to the Ukrainian center responsible for the issue of prisoners of war. Since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, 3,315 Ukrainian captives have been able to return to their country, according to kyiv.