The Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office on Tuesday denied reports that the chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhnyi has been sacked, but it has only served to strengthen swirling rumours of cracks and inner conflict within Ukraine’s war-fighting machinery.
On being asked on Tuesday evening whether the military chief had been asked to quit, Zelenskyy's press secretary Serhii Nykyforov, said: “Definitely not. The president has not dismissed the commander-in-chief.”
The report comes at a time for Ukraine when Russian forces are trying to open up a new front along Kharkhiv in order to extend the war frontier so that the Ukrainian defences thin out. On a comparative scale, the Russian military positions are more firmly entrenched and dug in than the Ukrainian ones.
Also with the winter snow set to thaw with the gradual onset of Spring, the ground becomes muddy and full of slush. As a result, movement of tanks and artillery becomes much more sluggish and prohibitive. This is a situation where Russia is believed to be placed in a more advantageous position than Ukraine.
The reports acquire credibility because of open disagreements between the Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi since November including a public spat.
In November, General Zaluzhnyi had said in an interview that the threat of a prolonged war persisted which would be a ‘trap’ for Ukraine, something Zelenskyy strongly disagreed with. There were also reports that the President was ‘bypassing’ Zaluzhnyi and communicated directly with some military commanders.
In General Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskyy may also perceive a political threat with his presidential term ending this year even as Zaluzhnyi soars in popularity in opinion polls.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing growing financial stress to fund the war effort as a recent meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) ended without committing to any additional aid of war supplies to Ukraine amid reports of the war-torn country reeling under a severe shortage of ammunition to counter the Russian military.
Ukraine fires 6,000 to 8,000 artillery rounds on a daily basis along the 1,200 km long frontier with Russia. Additionally, the cost of these 155 mm rounds has increased threefold from $1,000-1,500 apiece.