Zaluzhnyi Breaks Silence on Rift with Zelenskyy Amidst Alleged Raid and Strategy Disputes
Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former head of Ukraine's army and current ambassador to Britain, has been widely perceived as a political rival to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since his removal in 2024. Zaluzhnyi, 52, has consistently refrained from publicly discussing his political ambitions to avoid impacting national unity during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
In a recent interview, Zaluzhnyi spoke publicly for the first time about a deep rift with Zelenskyy. Tensions reportedly emerged after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, with frequent disagreements over national defense strategies.
Alleged Office Raid Incident
The strained relationship reportedly intensified in late 2022. Zaluzhnyi stated that dozens of agents from Ukraine's domestic intelligence service (SBU) allegedly raided his office. He described this previously unreported incident as an act of intimidation, risking public exposure of their rivalry.
During the alleged raid, Zaluzhnyi claims he contacted Zelenskyy's chief of staff, warning he was prepared to deploy military support to protect the command center. He also contacted Vasyl Maliuk, then head of the SBU, who reportedly stated he was unaware of the raid.
The SBU acknowledged that the address was identified as a "recently established covert backup command post" of Zaluzhnyi's, and the situation was clarified after Maliuk and Zaluzhnyi spoke.
The SBU, however, denied that a search was conducted at Zaluzhnyi's office. The agency acknowledged that the address was part of an investigation into organized crime, unrelated to Zaluzhnyi, which involved a strip club that had since closed. Zelenskyy's office declined to comment on the incident.
Disagreements on Military Strategy
Zaluzhnyi reported that disagreements with Zelenskyy over defense strategy continued after the alleged raid. A dispute concerning the 2023 counteroffensive, which ultimately did not achieve its objectives, was particularly contentious.
Zaluzhnyi claims the counteroffensive plan he developed with NATO partners failed because Zelenskyy and other officials did not allocate the necessary resources.
The original strategy aimed to concentrate forces to retake Zaporizhzhia and advance to the Sea of Azov, severing a Russian supply corridor to Crimea.
Instead, forces were reportedly dispersed, diluting their effectiveness. This account was corroborated by two unnamed Western defense officials.
Dismissal and Political Landscape
Despite his public popularity following battlefield successes, Zelenskyy dismissed Zaluzhnyi as army chief in February 2024, subsequently appointing him ambassador to London. Political analysts viewed this move as an attempt by Zelenskyy to mitigate Zaluzhnyi's potential as a political rival.
Polls indicate Zaluzhnyi holding a slight lead over Zelenskyy in hypothetical future elections, with Zelenskyy's popularity reportedly decreasing amidst the war and a corruption scandal involving his officials. Zelenskyy has since reorganized his leadership team.
Zaluzhnyi maintains he is not discussing politics while the war and martial law are active, to avoid national division. He confirmed declining an offer for campaign assistance from a "fairly well known" American political consultant in spring 2025. An official close to Zaluzhnyi anonymously identified the consultant as Paul Manafort, who previously worked on Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. Manafort did not respond to requests for comment.