Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny confirmed to journalists that he had a conflict with the former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak. It flared up during the first successful counteroffensive of the Defense Forces in the fall of 2022.
Points of attention
- Zaluzhny's readiness to fight back against Yermak showcases his determination to protect the command center and resist unwanted interference.
- The conflict highlights Yermak's significant influence on strategic decisions during the war and sheds light on power struggles within the Ukrainian military and government.
Yermak interfered in Zaluzhny's work
According to the former head of the command, the situation reached a boiling point when, in September 2022, he finished a meeting at President Volodymyr Zelensky's headquarters and returned to his office in Kyiv.
Several hours passed, and dozens of SBU agents burst into Zaluzhny's office without permission to search the premises.
What is important to understand is that there were over a dozen British officers there at that time.
Zaluzhny said that during the raid he called the then head of the OPU, Andriy Yermak.
He immediately warned Zelensky's associate that he was ready to call in the military to stop the search and protect the command center.
I will fight you and have already called in reinforcements to the center of Kyiv for support... I told Yermak that I would repel this attack because I know how to fight,” recalls Valeriy Zaluzhny.
According to him, Yermak had a significant influence on strategic decisions during the war.
