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| General Zolozny: Ukraine's commander-in-chief who remains calm even on the battlefield |
For 18 months, the military campaign in the east and south of the country, which was being prepared for a long time, is in full swing on the part of Ukraine to regain the possession of the territories under the control of Russia.
The 49-year-old commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Valery Zlozhny, played a key role in planning the military operation and is now leading it. He was an unknown figure until recently, but in recent times General Zlozny has become as famous as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
General Zlozny is referred to by his friends and old classmates as 'our Willera'. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in July 2021.
Those close to him say that he was appointed by President Zelenskiy himself and was a surprise to General Zolozny himself.
He has a reputation as a modern commander who often jokes with his subordinates and does not shy away from his position.
Seven months after deployment, he was forced to defend Ukraine in response to a Russian invasion.
On February 26, 2022, it was clear that the Russian army had failed to capture the capital city of Kyiv in three days, according to the initial claim, but the situation was not very favorable for Ukraine.
The Russian army was advancing in the north, east, and south of the country and Kieu was in great danger.
Senior Ukrainian officials were considering destroying bridges over the Dnipro River near Kyiv to prevent Russian troops from advancing from the east bank to the west bank, where Ukrainian government buildings are located.
When they called General Zolozny for his opinion, he is reported to have replied, "We will not do that under any circumstances."
According to him, doing so would be "a betrayal of civilians and the military on the east bank."
The BBC has spoken to two sources familiar with the incident who confirmed this.
By April 2022, the Ukrainian army had pushed back Russian troops north and east of Kyiv.
General Zolozny comes from a family that served in the Soviet Army.
In 1990, when General Zolozny himself entered the military school, Ukraine had become an independent state. In 2014, he was appointed deputy commander in eastern Ukraine, where separatists were fighting with the support of the Russian military.
BBC interviews with his colleagues revealed that from the beginning of his career, he was interested in establishing a relationship of trust with his subordinates and giving them decision-making authority.
Ludmelia Dolhonowska, a former subordinate of General Zolozny, told the BBC that he slept little and was in constant contact with military staff at the front.
"He had a lot of conversations with the generals, but these conversations were always focused and calm."
Experts say that the Ukrainian army has gained an advantage over the Russian army by delegating decision-making authority to its junior officers, where decision-making authority rests with senior officers.
Some sources in the Ukrainian military even claimed that the main reason for Ukraine's success was the commanders on the ground and their decisions, while General Zulozny should only be given credit for getting his subordinate commanders to work. Freedom of
However, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was busy trying to keep the morale of the Ukrainian people high and get economic and military support from the Western world, General Zolozny was focused on keeping the military strategy right.
By the end of summer last year, the Ukrainian army had liberated a large part of the east and south of the country from Russia.
In such a situation, the commander-in-chief of the country's army became a national hero. Despite this, he would neither appear in public nor give interviews.
But his name has now become a symbol of bravery and determination in Ukraine. Many phrases about his personality have become common in public.
There is such a saying that 'when the Zuluzni enters a dark room, they do not turn on the light, but turn off the darkness.'
As his popularity began to compete with that of President Zelenskiy, conspiracy theorists began to spread rumors of possible tension between the two.
There were also rumors that President Zelenskiy was about to remove him from office or that General Zolozny might challenge President Zelenskiy's political leadership, but so far nothing has happened.
An official in Ukraine's presidential administration told the BBC on condition of anonymity that "the president has no time for jealousy because he is focused on securing the necessary military support for Ukraine." '
Currently, both are happy doing their own thing.
Last June, General Zolozny, speaking to the Times magazine, said that he does not explain every detail of military strategy to President Zelenskiy.
General Zolozny said that "they do not need to understand military affairs, just as they do not need to develop an understanding of medicine or building bridges."
Political experts say that in the current situation where the people of Ukraine need courage, the popularity of General Zolozny is a natural process.
He says that the personality of General Zolozny also has a role in it.
Once, General Zolozny suddenly arrived at the wedding of a soldier whom the ceremony had previously held had to be postponed because he was being sent to the war front. Later, the soldier was given a short leave to get married.
Recently, Russian bloggers began to spread rumors that General Zolozny was seriously injured or killed when Ukraine's retaliation was mentioned.
After these rumors, the head of Russia's foreign intelligence, Sergei Naryshkin, said, "We have all the information about the health of the commander of the Ukrainian army, but we will not make it public."
Colonel Anatoly Shtefan, a close aide of General Zolozny, told the BBC that senior Ukrainian military officials dismissed the rumors as the height of Russian propaganda madness, but it was clear that the Ukrainian people were also worried. were
At the beginning of June, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense released several photos of General Zolozhny, in which he could be seen taking part in an event in the capital.
General Zolozny may be a hero now, but the hopes associated with him may complicate the future.
Even if Ukraine succeeds in this war, according to analyst Oleksiy, Ukraine will have to face bitter realities.
He says that after the war, Ukraine will face a severe economic crisis and the situation will be very different.
Political affairs expert Mykola Dyudyk believes that if the commander of the Ukrainian army decides to enter politics, he can succeed.
He said that "Zielinski is a leader who did not leave the people alone in difficult times, but Zuluzny is a leader who defended them." Such a view is demanded in our society.
The BBC requested an interview with General Zolozny, but he declined the request.