Elite units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) are considering a coup to remove Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and replace him with Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Valery Zaluzhny, according to a Russian source.
The tipster, a member of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), made the revelation to the Russian news outlet Sputnik. He explained that the recent reshuffle in the AFU, which saw Zelensky reassign Zaluzhny to a diplomatic position, sparked the coup talks. Zaluzhny served as the AFU commander-in-chief from July 2021 until February.
Commanders and soldiers in the AFU's elite units were reportedly dissatisfied with the decision to replace Zaluzhny with Oleksandr Syrsky, former commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. According to the tipster, FSB specialists had gained access to a closed Telegram channel called "ParaBelum."
Members of the channel, he added, consist of radically-minded fighters from the AFU's elite. "ParaBelum" participants include members of the Ukrainian Marine Corps, special forces, intelligence, special forces of the Security Service of Ukraine and various nationalist battalions.
"They are highly qualified specialists who are clearly dissatisfied with the change of command," the FSU representative mentioned. "They are seriously discussing options for overthrowing the current government and the command of the AFU."
One member of "ParaBelum" named Maxim Shevtsov aired out his discontent in a voice message. Shevtsov, the commander of the reconnaissance group under the AFU's 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade, went by the call sign "Winter." He reportedly urged his fellow members in the Telegram channel to overthrow the comedian-turned-president.
"If people … [and] the military [don't] come to the defense of Zaluzhny, then this rat [Zelensky] will torpedo everyone. Let's demolish this green rat and install Zaluzhny," said Shevtsov.
"In fact, it's Zelensky who needs to be changed, not Zaluzhny. This rat feels that he has a zero rating, and Zaluzhny has a higher rating. [This is why Zelensky] is trying to torpedo him."
A recent poll by the Ukrainian Center for Social and Marketing Research (SOCIS) appears to echo the elite commander's sentiments. According to the SOCIS poll, Zaluzhny would garner 41.4 percent of the votes if the first round of Ukraine's presidential election would be held in 2024. In contrast, Zelensky would only garner 23.7 percent of the votes. (Related: Permanent dictator: Zelensky declares NO MORE ELECTIONS in Ukraine until war ends.)
Poll: Zaluzhyny more trusted than his successor
In February, a poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) found that Zaluzhny had a higher trust rating among Ukrainians than his successor. Per the results of the KIIS poll, Zaluzhny garnered a 94 percent trust rating – more than double the 40 percent Syrsky received.
"Syrsky was a powerhouse commander at the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in his role in the defense of Kyiv, and he was able to retake Kharkiv in the fall [of] 2022," wrote Business Insider (BI). "But he faced major criticism after the 2023 battle of Bakhmut."
BI also pointed to the stark difference between the leadership styles of the "Iron General" Zaluzhny and the "Butcher" Syrsky, citing a separate report by POLITICO. According to the piece, the incumbent AFU commander-in-chief gained the moniker following high casualty numbers in the Bakhmut front. Under Syrsky's command, "Ukrainian troops suffered high casualties against relentless 'meat waves' of Russian attackers before having to abandon the eastern city – [earning] him the gruesome nickname."
Several officers took to X to air out their disagreement over Syrsky's appointment. One officer described his leadership as "bankrupt, his presence or orders coming from his name are demoralizing, and he undermines trust in the command in general." The officer continued: "His relentless pursuit of tactical gains constantly depletes our valuable human resources, resulting in tactical advances such as capturing tree lines or small villages with no operational goals in mind."
"Syrsky will kill us all," remarked one soldier. Meanwhile, a second soldier summed up their thoughts on the new commander's appointment in a group chat of Bakhmut veterans in three words: "We're all f****d."
Watch this video that discusses the power struggle between former AFU Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.
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