Ukraine's Zelenskyy takes one of his 'biggest gambles' yet by replacing top military commander

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thought to have taken one of his "biggest gambles" yet by dramatically replacing his top military commander.
• Zelenskyy removed Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as head of Ukraine's armed forces and replaced him with Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.
• The shake-up represents the most significant change to Ukraine's military leadership since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly two years ago.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is thought to have taken one of his "biggest gambles" yet by replacing his top commander in a dramatic military shake-up.

Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, one of Ukraine's most experienced commanders who had led the country's ground forces since 2019, was on Thursday appointed the new head of Ukraine's armed forces amid broader military leadership changes.

Zelenskyy removed Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, a widely respected and popular figure in Ukraine, following months of speculation about his future and reported tensions between Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi over strategy.

It represents the most significant change to Ukraine's military leadership since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country nearly two years ago.

In a post on social media platform X, Zelenskyy said he had taken the decision "to renew the leadership" of Ukraine's armed forces and thanked Zaluzhnyi for his two years of service.

"I appreciate every victory we have achieved together, thanks to all the Ukrainian warriors who are heroically carrying this war on their shoulders. We candidly discussed issues in the army that require change. Urgent change," Zelenskyy said.

"This is not about surnames, and surely not about politics," Zelenskyy said. "This is about our army system, about the management