Valery Zaluzhny, the man behind Ukraine's counteroffensive

BBC News.com ^ | June 14, 2023 | Oksana Torop, Svyatoslav Khomenko & Kateryna Khinkulova

[Timber Rattler]

Ukraine's long-awaited attempt to take back the territories in the east and south of the country, occupied by Russia for the past 18 months, is now in full swing.

A key figure in planning and executing this operation is Gen Valery Zaluzhny, Ukraine's 49-year-old commander-in-chief. Little known until recently, his popularity now rivals that of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Gen Zaluzhny, or "our Valera" as friends and old classmates like to call him, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military in July 2021.

(snip)

Within seven months he was leading Ukraine's defence against full-scale invasion.

(snip)

The commander-in-chief became a national hero, despite being rarely seen in public and even more rarely agreeing to interviews.

His name became synonymous with bravery and determination, and his reputation spawned anecdotes and turns of phrase.

"When Zaluzhny walks into an unlit room, he doesn't switch on the light, he switches off the darkness," one such phrase went.

(snip)

As talk of a forthcoming Ukrainian offensive intensified, Russian military bloggers began circulating rumours in mid-May that Gen Zaluzhny had been critically wounded or even killed.

This was picked up by Russian foreign intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin who said: "Naturally, we have all information about the state of health of the commander of the Ukrainian Army but we will not disclose it."

Col Anatoly Shtefan, who is close to Gen Zaluzhny, said that while Ukraine's top brass poked fun at the rumours - which they described as the "height of Russian propaganda madness" - it was clear that Ukrainians were starting to worry too.

At the beginning of June, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence published several photos of Gen Zaluzhny attending a military ceremony in Kyiv.

[delta7]

The now infamous Zaparhozhnia front has been officially dubbed “ Bradley Square”, Vlad is stacking US Bradley’s deep.

[Kazan]

So, the BBC is doing puff piece on a general whose strategy is failing miserably?

After more than a week, Ukraine has yet to reach the first line of Russian defense anywhere it's attacked.

One Ukrainian Unit Surrendered. Russia Counterattack To Regain Lost Area. Back N Forth. 13.06.2023

[tlozo]

LOL, what color is the sky in your world?

Its day 467 of Putin's invasion of Ukraine and all the news is about Ukraine's counterattack, and in your mind this is some great russian victory? Reality is that its a sad statement on the russian military being bogged down in Ukraine due to corruption and incompetence.