The Minister of Defense of Ukraine explained the dismissal of General Khorenko from the post of commander of the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - he is “needed in a certain direction”

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov refused to explain in detail the reasons for the dismissal of the commander of the Special Operations Forces (SSO) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Viktor Khorenko. According to him, “now he is needed in a certain direction.”

“Additionally commenting on the reasons and prerequisites for changing senior military positions during the war is to give reasons to the enemy to weaken Ukraine,” Umerov wrote on Facebook. He clarified that Khorenko will continue to serve in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

On November 3, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree on the new commander of the Special Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Instead of Khorenko, who held this post since July 2022, Sergei Lupanchuk was appointed to the position.

In an address following the 618th day of the war, Zelensky clarified that Khorenko will continue to perform special tasks as part of Ukrainian military intelligence.

Khorenko himself stated that he did not know why he was fired from his post. The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, also could not explain to him the reasons for his resignation. On November 4, the Office of the President of Ukraine reported that Khorenko was fired on the recommendation of Umerov.

• Journalist Simon Shuster, in an article for Time that caused a huge resonance , citing sources, reported on the impending reshuffle in the Ukrainian leadership. His interlocutors claimed that one of the ministers and one of the high-ranking generals would be fired, who would be held responsible for the “slow progress at the front” during the counteroffensive.