UPDATE - Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi dismissed: Defense minister

UPDATES WITH QUOTES FROM UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Ukraine dismissed its Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi and replaced him with Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, officials said.

"New approaches and new strategies are needed. Today, a decision was made on the need to change the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. I am sincerely grateful to Valerii Fedorovich (Zaluzhnyi) for all his achievements and victories," Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote on his Facebook page.

Separately, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Syrskyi will replace Zaluzhnyi as the commander-in-chief.

"Today I have decided to renew the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," he said.

"I have had dozens of conversations with commanders of various levels. In particular, today I spoke with Brigadier Generals Andriy Hnatov, Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ihor Skibiuk, and Colonels Pavlo Pallisa and Vadym Sukharevskyi. All of them are being considered for leadership positions in the army. And they will serve under the leadership of the most experienced Ukrainian commander, the battlefield commander, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi," Zelenskyy said, adding that he has "successful experience in defense."

"He led the Kyiv defense operation. He also has a successful experience of the offensive – the Kharkiv liberation operation. I have appointed Colonel General Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the president added.

"Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi will present the team for resetting the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the coming days," Zelenskyy added.

*Emre Basaran contributed to this story from Istanbul