Valerii Zaluzhnyi

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Fedorovych and the family name is Zaluzhnyi.

Valerii Zaluzhnyi
Валерій Залужний
Official portrait, 2021
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United Kingdom
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 July 2024
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal
Preceded byVadym Prystaiko
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
In office
27 July 2021 – 8 February 2024
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal
Preceded byRuslan Khomchak
Succeeded byOleksandr Syrskyi
Personal details
Born (1973-07-08) 8 July 1973 (age 51)
Novohrad-Volynskyi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
(now Zviahel, Ukraine)
Alma mater1) Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine
2) Odesa Military Academy
3) National University Ostroh Academy
Nickname"Iron General"[1][2]
Military service
AllegianceUkraine
Years of service1993–2024
RankGeneral
Commands1) 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
Awards

Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi[a] (Ukrainian: Вале́рій Фе́дорович Залу́жний; born 8 July 1973) is a Ukrainian four-star general and diplomat who is currently serving as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 27 July 2021 until 8 February 2024.[4][5] He was 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.[6] 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.[7] He was dismissed from his position as Commander-in-Chief on 8 February 2024 amid increasing tension between him and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[8]

Zaluzhnyi was appointed the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom in March 2024.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Ukraine's 'iron general' is a hero, but he's no star". POLITICO. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  2. ^ Hoffman, Bryce. "Business Leaders Need To Be More Like Ukraine's "Iron General" And Less Like Russia's Dinosaurs". Forbes. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  3. ^ Nikiforov, Serhiy (27 July 2021). "Valeriy Zaluzhny appointed as Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces instead of Khomchak – Zelensky's press secretary" (Press release). Interfax-Ukraine.
  4. ^ "Ukraine's Zelenskiy says time has come for changes at top of military". reuters.com. Reuters. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Зміна керівництва ЗСУ: Зеленський звільнив Залужного і призначив головкомом ЗСУ Сирського" [Change of leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Zelensky dismisses Zaluzhny and appoints Syrsky as chief of the Armed Forces]. suspilne.media. Suspilne. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024. Пізніше Зеленський повідомив, що звільнив Залужного із посади головнокомандувача ЗСУ, а на його місце призначив генерал-полковника Олександра Сирського.
  6. ^ "Valeriy Zaluzhnyy", Time, 23 May 2022.
  7. ^ "'We hit them with slingshots': Ukraine's 'iron general' shows his mettle". Financial Times. 18 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  8. ^ Kramer and, Andrew E.; Santora, Marc (8 February 2024). "Zelensky Removes His Top General, in Major Shake-Up of Ukraine Military". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 February 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Ukraine's Ex-Army Chief Zaluzhny Appointed Ambassador to U.K." themoscowtimes.com. The Moscow Times. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  10. ^ Constant Méheut (7 March 2024). "Zelensky Names Ukraine's Ex-Top General Ambassador to U.K.". The New York Times. Kyiv. Retrieved 7 March 2024.


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