Ukrainian soldiers express unease over possible dismissal of army chief Zaluzhnyi

As Ukraine’s president looks poised to fire the head of his armed forces, some soldiers fighting Russia’s latest onslaught on the eastern front are sceptical, but say that much will depend on who he might be replaced by. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an interview published on Sunday (February 4) that he is considering replacing armed forces Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as part of a broader wartime shake-up of the top brass. Zaluzhnyi is viewed as a hero by most Ukrainians, with the memories of the stunning underdog victories against Russia in 2022 outweighing the failure of last year’s counter-offensive in the minds of many. “I think this dismissal would not be appropriate now, because on the field of battle you do not change commanders,“ said a 31-year-old anti-tank unit commander who asked to be introduced by his call sign, Tiger. Tiger’s brigade, the 59th, are fighting on a section of the front in the eastern Donetsk region near Avdiivka