Valery Zaluzhny spending final hours as Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Valery Zaluzhny, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, may resign "within hours,” but the decision is being delayed for now due to difficulties in finding his successor, RBC-Ukraine reports.

CNN also said with reference to its sources that Zelensky would sack Zaluzhny already this week.

The main candidates for the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov and the commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky.

Syrsky and Budanov refuse to replace Zaluzhny

The commander of the ground forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Colonel General Alexander Syrsky, as well as the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, refused to take the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to replace Valery Zaluzhny.

According to The Times, following pressure from other military leaders and international partners, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky changed his mind about dismissing Zaluzhny. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was summoned to the office of the President of Ukraine on January 29. During the meeting, Zaluzhny told the president that the situation at the front, contrary to the words of his advisers, was not so positive. Zelensky asked Zaluzhny to resign, but when he refused, Zelensky said that would sign the corresponding decree himself.

Zaluzhny then returned to his office and announced his dismissal to his subordinates. However, Zelensky had to revise the decision, the publication said noting that it was the United States and Great Britain that expressed concern about the possible resignation of the commander-in-chief.

Syrsky and Budanov were named as possible successors to Zaluzhny, but they both rejected the offer to replace him.

According to The Economist, Zelensky offered Zaluzhny the post of secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), but the general refused. It was alleged that Budanov was offered to take the post of commander-in-chief, but he "refused at the last moment.”

Supposedly, Valery Zaluzhny wanted to withdraw the Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka several weeks ago. Zelensky refused to agree to that, and on December 30 he personally went to Avdiivka to support the military.