The mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, came to the defence of the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, amid speculation he will soon be sacked.
"Society is discussing and anxiously waiting the outcome of the situation with the president's plans to dismiss the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi," Klitschko wrote on Telegram.
"In many ways, it was thanks to Zaluzhnyi that Ukrainians truly believed in our Armed Forces, which enjoy the greatest trust today. As a soldier in the war, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi went through many difficult moments. Only he himself knows how much in reality," the mayor continued.
"But, unfortunately, today is the moment when politics can prevail over common sense and the interests of the state."
Klitschko called for an end to political intrigues and internal power struggles in Kiev.
"We must fight for one thing today - for the victory of Ukraine," he wrote.
Following persistent media reports about Zaluzhnyi's imminent dismissal, President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted plans for personnel changes in an interview with the Italian broadcaster Rai on Sunday evening.
Zaluzhnyi is credited with the defence of Kiev in the early days of Russia's 2022 invasion and the recapture of territories in the east and south. Polls show that the general, who is seen as a war hero, is more popular than Zelensky.
