Ukraine army chief tipped for the sack takes aim at Zelensky

UKRAINE’S embattled army chief has said the country cannot match Russia’s manpower without taking “unpopular measures”, in a veiled swipe at Volodymyr Zelensky.

General Valery Zaluzhny called on his political masters to “seize the moment” as he alluded to Mr Zelensky’s reluctance to back his call for a military draft of up to 500,000 people.

The popular general, who is expected to be sacked within days according to reports, went public with his views in an op-ed for the US network CNN yesterday.

He wrote: “We must acknowledge the significant advantage enjoyed by the enemy in mobilising human resources and how that compares with the inability of state institutions in Ukraine to improve the manpower levels of our armed forces without the use of unpopular measures.”

Gen Zaluzhny has long argued that as many as half a million people may need to be called up if Kyiv is to counter Russia’s superior troop numbers.

The dispute between the Ukrainian president and his army chief has spilled into the public eye amid growing concerns about the West’s commitment to continued funding for Kyiv.

The EU finally agreed a £42.6billion package yesterday after Viktor Orban, Hungary’s leader, caved to pressure and ended his months-long holdout. But concerns remain over the delay in approving new US funding.

Gen Zaluzhny acknowledged the limitations that accompany the dwindling funds, and suggested Ukraine must change the way it fights. He said: “The challenge cannot be underestimated. It is to create a completely new state system of technological rearmament.”

CNN earlier reported that Mr Zelensky was due to announce Gen Zaluzhny’s dismissal by the end of the week, in what would be the biggest shakeup of his military since Russia invaded.

The rift between the pair appeared to have taken root last year, amid the failure of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

♦ Ukrainian drones have sunk a Russian warship in the Black Sea in the most successful attack of its kind to date. Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (GUR) said: “As a result of a number of direct strikes to the hull, the Russian vessel sustained critical damage causing immobilisation – it heaved aft and sank.” Russia has not commented and it is unclear if anyone died in the attack.