| Valerii Zaluzhnyi Вале́рій Залу́жний | |
|---|---|
| |
| Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 27 July 2021 | |
| President | Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
| Prime Minister | Denys Shmyhal |
| Preceded by | Ruslan Khomchak |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi 8 July 1973 Novohrad-Volynskyi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Zviahel, Ukraine) |
| Alma mater | 1) Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine 2) Odesa Military Academy 3) National University Ostroh Academy |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | "Iron General"[1][2] |
| Allegiance | Ukraine |
| Years of service | 1997–present |
| Rank | General 
|
| Commands | 1) Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 2) Operational Command North 3) Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine 4) Operational Command West 5) 51st Guards Mechanized Brigade 6) 24th Guards Mechanized Brigade |
| Battles/wars | |
Zaluzhnyi with Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi (left) during the Battle of Kyiv, March 2022
Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi (Ukrainian: Вале́рій Фе́дорович Залу́жний;[lower-alpha 1][3] born 8 July 1973) is a Ukrainian four-star general who has served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 27 July 2021. He is also concurrently a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
Zaluzhnyi was previously the Commander of the North Operational Command (2019–2021), Chief of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine — First Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces (2018), Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the West Operational Command (2017), and Commander of the 51st Guards Mechanized Brigade (2009–2012).
Zaluzhnyi was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2022.[4] He has received praise for his skill at "adapting to a fast-changing battlefield" through effective delegation and information gathering during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[5]
Biography[]
In 1989, Zaluzhnyi graduated from the city school No. 9 and entered the Zviahel Machine-Building Technical School, from which he graduated in 1991 with honors. He later entered the general military faculty of the Odesa Institute of Land Forces. In 1997, he graduated with honors from the institute, after which he passed all stages of military service: platoon commander, training platoon commander, combat platoon commander, training company commander, cadet company commander, and battalion commander.
In 2005, he entered the National Academy of Defense of Ukraine. In 2007, he graduated with a gold medal and was appointed Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the 24th Mechanized Brigade in Yavoriv, Lviv Oblast. He successfully served in this position for two and a half years.[6] By the decision of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 13 October 2009, he was appointed commander of the 51st Mechanized Brigade. He commanded it until 2012.[7]
In 2014, Zaluzhnyi graduated from the Ivan Cherniakhovskyi National Defense University of Ukraine.[8] In 2017, he was appointed Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander of the Operational Command West.[9] The next year, in 2018, Zaluzhnyi was appointed Chief of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – First Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces.[10]
On 9 December 2019, he was appointed Commander of the Operational Command North.[11] In December 2020 he graduated from the National University Ostroh Academy with a master's degree in International Relations. On 27 July 2021, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Zaluzhnyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,[12][13][14] replacing General Ruslan Khomchak in this position.[15][16] The following day he was also appointed as a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.[17]
Zaluzhnyi is widely regarded as an open-minded officer.[18] Representing a new generation of Ukrainian officers, Zaluzhnyi has radically departed from established Soviet military practices.[14][19] One of his first steps in office was to allow the military at the front to open fire in response to the enemy without the consent of the upper leadership and eliminate the need for the military to fill out unnecessary documents.[20]
Regarding his priorities as Commander-in-Chief, Zaluzhnyi said: "The overall course of reforming Ukraine's Armed Forces in line with NATO principles and standards remains irreversible. And the key here is the principles. Changes must take place primarily in the worldview and attitude toward people. I would like you to turn your face to the people, to your subordinates. My attitude towards people has not changed throughout my service."[21]
On 5 March 2022, in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Zaluzhnyi was promoted by President Zelenskyy to the rank of General,[22] the highest possible rank in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. International experts and analysts have given Zaluzhnyi high marks for the effectiveness of his command at the front against the Russian military, in particular in Time magazine.[23]
In January 2023, Zaluzhny received $1 million USD as an inheritance from an American-Ukrainian, Gregory Stepanets. Zaluzhny donated the $1 million to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and humanitarian nonprofits in Ukraine.[24]
Military ranks[]
- Major general (23 August 2017)[9]
- Lieutenant general (24 August 2021)
- General (4 March 2022)[25]
Notes[]
- ↑ Sometimes transliterated as Valery or Valeriy Zaluzhny in English.
References[]
- ↑ "Ukraine's 'iron general' is a hero, but he's no star" (in en). 8 April 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/08/ukraines-iron-general-zaluzhnyy-00023901.
- ↑ Hoffman, Bryce. "Business Leaders Need To Be More Like Ukraine's "Iron General" And Less Like Russia's Dinosaurs" (in en). https://www.forbes.com/sites/brycehoffman/2022/04/14/business-leaders-need-to-be-more-like-ukraines-iron-general-and-less-like-russias-dinosaurs/.
- ↑ Nikiforov, Serhiy (27 July 2021). "Valeriy Zaluzhny appointed as Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces instead of Khomchak – Zelensky's press secretary". Interfax-Ukraine. https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/758177.html.
- ↑ "Valeriy Zaluzhnyy", Time, 23 May 2022.
- ↑ "'We hit them with slingshots': Ukraine's 'iron general' shows his mettle". Financial Times. 18 November 2022. https://www.ft.com/content/3801b2ff-1b27-4dc5-a490-6447522d5afd.
- ↑ "Валерій Залужний: "Новоград-Волинський був колискою мрій і прагнень, Володимир-Волинський дав можливість втілити їх у життя…"" (in uk). Звягель. 5 November 2010. http://www.zvyagel.com.ua/?p=2802.
- ↑ "У найбільшої військової частини у Волинській області новий командир!" (in uk). https://blogs.korrespondent.net/blog/users/3232156-u-naibilshoi-viiskovoi-chastyny-u-volynskii-oblasti-novyi-komandyr.
- ↑ "генерал-майор ЗАЛУЖНИЙ Валерій Федорович" (in uk). https://www.zsu.gov.ua/menu/6104f4286d7bf54932890379.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Президент України підписав Указ "Про присвоєння військових звань"". 24 August 2017. https://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2017/08/24/prezident-ukraini-pidpisav-ukaz-pro-prisvoennya-vijskovih-zvan/.
- ↑ "Брифінг начальника штабу — першого заступника Командувача об'єднаних сил генерал-майора Валерія Залужного". Офіційний вебсайт Міністерства оборони України. http://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2018/05/01/brifing-nachalnika-shtabu-pershogo-zastupnika-komanduvacha-obednanih-sil-valeriya-zaluzhnogo/.
- ↑ "В ОК "Північ" новий командувач — генерал-майор Валерій Залужний" (in uk). АрміяInform. https://armyinform.com.ua/2019/12/v-ok-pivnich-novyj-komanduvach-general-major-valerij-zaluzhnyj/.
- ↑ "Сфера оборони має функціонувати стабільно, скоординовано, з чіткою перспективою та без непорозумінь між керівниками – Глава держави". https://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2021/07/27/sfera-oboroni-mae-funkczionuvati-stabilno-skoordinovano-z-chitkoyu-perspektivoyu-ta-bez-neporozumin-mizh-kerivnikami-%E2%80%93-glava-derzhavi/.
- ↑ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №320/2021" (in uk). https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/3202021-39509.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Ukraine's top soldier runs a different kind of army from Russia's". 15 December 2022. https://www.economist.com/zaluzhny-profile.
- ↑ "Хомчак іде з посади. Призначено нового головнокомандувача – ОП". https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2021/07/27/7301896/.
- ↑ "Названо наступника Хомчака на посаді головнокомандувача ЗСУ" (in uk). https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/nazvan-preemnik-homchaka-postu-glavnokomanduyushchego-1627400338.html.
- ↑ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №325/2021" (in uk). https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/3252021-39525.
- ↑ "Хто такий новий головнокомандувач ЗСУ Валерій Залужний" (in uk). https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/valeriy-zaluzhnyi-komanduvach-zsu/31379957.html.
- ↑ "Генерал Валерій Залужний. Що відомо про нового головнокомандувача ЗСУ" (in uk). BBC News Україна. https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/news-57986999.
- ↑ "Військовим в зоні ООС дозволили відповідати окупантам без узгодження з вищим керівництвом, - головнокомандувач ЗСУ Залужний" (in uk). https://espreso.tv/viyskovim-v-zoni-oos-dozvolili-vidpovidati-okupantam-golovnokomanduvach-zsu-zaluzhniy.
- ↑ "Новий головнокомандувач ЗСУ Залужний назвав свої пріоритети на цій посаді" (in uk). https://espreso.tv/noviy-golovnokomanduvach-zsu-zaluzhniy-nazvav-svoi-prioriteti-na-tsiy-posadi.
- ↑ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №108/2022". https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/1082022-41565.
- ↑ Shuster, Simon; Bergengruen, Vera (26 September 2022). "Inside the Ukrainian Counterstrike That Turned the Tide of the War" (in en). https://time.com/6216213/ukraine-military-valeriy-zaluzhny/.
- ↑ "Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief inherits US$1 million and donates it to Ukrainian army". 2023-01-24. https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/01/24/7386365/.
- ↑ "Twitter account of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine". 5 March 2022. https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1499904884950421509/.
Information[]
- генерал-лейтенант ЗАЛУЖНИЙ Валерій Федорович // zsu.gov.ua
- Gen. Mark A. Milley and Gen. Valery Zaluzhny; Washington Post, 27 January 2023
Interviews[]
- "Валерій Залужний: "Новоград-Волинський був колискою мрій і прагнень, Володимир-Волинський дав можливість втілити їх у життя…"" (in uk). Звягель. 5 November 2010. http://www.zvyagel.com.ua/?p=2802.
- Олександр Штупун, «Хочемо відійти від написання бойових наказів зразка 1943 року. Від цих безглуздих доповідей біля карт» — командувач військ ОК «Північ» генерал-майор Валерій Залужний // armyinform.com.ua, 15 February 2020.
- "An interview with General Valery Zaluzhny, head of Ukraine's armed forces". December 15, 2022. https://www.economist.com/zaluzhny-transcript.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category:Valerii Zaluzhnyi. |
 |
Wikiquote has media related to: Valerii Zaluzhnyi |
 Головнокомандувач ЗСУ Залужний: Хотів би проїхатися на танку по Арбату. Рандеву з Яніною Соколовою on YouTube, 5 канал, 04.09.2021. | |
|
Валерій Залужний на Всеукраїнському форумі «Україна 30. Захисники» on YouTube, Конгрес місцевих та регіональних влад, 03.11.2021. | |
|
«Війна змінила мою долю»: історія головнокомандувача ЗСУ Валерія Залужного. Таємниці війни on YouTube, 5 канал, 02.12.2021. | |
|
Year. Off-screen. General. Special project of Dmytro Komarov. Part three [Eng + Ru subtitles] on YouTube, Світ навиворіт, 12.05.2023. |
- General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Official Biography - Ministry of Defense of Ukraine
- Хто такий новий головнокомандувач ЗСУ Валерій Залужний // Радіо Свобода, 27 July 2021.
- «Кожен солдат для мене — особистість». Принципи нового головнокомандувача ЗСУ Валерія Залужного // Новинарня, 27 July 2021.
| ||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The original article can be found at Valerii Zaluzhnyi and the edit history here.