Day 716 of the invasion of Ukraine. Summary of key events in the last 24 hours:

• Zaluzhnyi's dismissal was due to the stagnation of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Zelensky said
• Major General Syrskyi: Only with a new approach can we defeat the Russians
• Russia has no plans to expand the war beyond Ukraine
• Zelensky replaced the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
• Putin: The war will end if the US stops giving weapons to Ukraine
• Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 100 prisoners of war each
• Russia thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on a fuel and energy complex in the Oryol region
• An elderly woman was killed in Russian air attacks against the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka

Zaluzhnyi's dismissal was due to the stagnation of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Zelensky said

Volodymyr Zelensky explained his decision to fire the head of the armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, with the stagnation of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

In his midnight address, Zelensky stated that there is an open dialogue in the country about the need for change in the army and that it is not the specific individuals in leadership positions that are important, but the work they do.

According to him, although Kyiv has successfully managed to repel the Russian advance on several fronts, in the southeastern part of the country, specifically around Donetsk and Avdiivka, the situation is chaotic, and the lack of results has led to disappointment among Ukrainians.

Zelensky called for better communication between the generals in the headquarters and the soldiers at the front and expressed confidence that the appointment of Oleksandr Syrskyi to replace the dismissed Zaluzhnyi will bring the good results needed for Ukraine.

"It is not about the families of the generals, even less about politics. It is only about the army - about the way the Ukrainian Armed Forces are led and about the need for commanders with front-line experience to be present in its leadership. The Ukrainian army will serve under the leadership of the most experienced Ukrainian commander - General Oleksandr Syrskyi. He led the successful defense of Kyiv, as well as the battle to liberate Kharkiv," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Major General Syrskyi: Only with a new approach can we defeat the Russians

Only changes and constant improvement of the means and methods of conducting combat operations will make it possible to achieve success on the way to victory. Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi stated this in his first statement as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

He noted that new tasks are on the agenda.

"First of all, this is the clear and detailed planning of the actions of all the management bodies of the armed forces, units, formations and units, taking into account the needs of the front for the latest weapons that come from international partners," noted Syrskyi. quoted by UNIAN.

According to him, the fastest and most rational distribution and delivery of everything necessary for the combat units is necessary. He adds that this is and remains the main task of military logistics.

"Knowing all the needs of the front without exception and mastering the situation in each of its sections is the task of employees at all levels. It is the qualification of the personnel of the military administration bodies that is of decisive importance for the development and successful implementation of projects and plans" Syrskyi notes.

According to him, the life and health of servicemen are the main value of the Ukrainian army, therefore it is important to maintain a balance between the execution of combat tasks and the restoration of units and units with an emphasis on education and training of personnel.

Syrskyi emphasizes the need to introduce new technical solutions, increase the use of unmanned systems and modern means of electronic warfare. He notes that this is one of the future vectors for victory.

According to him, a reliable rear is one of the main components of overall success in war. He thanked everyone with whom he served in the ranks of the Ground Forces of Ukraine and OSUV Khortytsa. He also thanked every soldier, sergeant, officer and general for the joint implementation of operational plans that saved the lives of thousands of civilians and the territory of Ukraine from occupation.

Russia has no plans to expand the war beyond Ukraine

Russia does not plan to expand the war beyond the borders of Ukraine - this is what Vladimir Putin said in his first interview with a Western journalist since the beginning of the Russian offensive.

The former presenter from the American "Fox News" Tucker Carlson talked for two hours with the Russian president in Moscow. However, the journalist close to Donald Trump did not ask questions on some of the most important topics for the war in Ukraine, including the shelling of civilians. What else did Putin say and why did the Kremlin decide to give the green light for an interview with Tucker Carlson.

"In February 2022, you gave an address on the conflict in Ukraine, in which you stated that you took action after concluding that the United States, through NATO, could launch a quote: 'surprise attack on your country.' For the Americans that sounds paranoid. Do you really believe that the US would attack Russia out of the blue? How did you come to that conclusion?" asked Tucker Carlson.

"I did not say such a thing. Is this a talk show or a serious conversation?" snapped Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia.

With this awkward exchange, Vladimir Putin's two-hour interview with Tucker Carlson began. Described by Western media as a "monologue of the Russian president", a video recorded on Tuesday was published on Carlson's website, and parts of it were later distributed to world agencies.

The Kremlin rejected the claims of the anchor close to Donald Trump that he was the first Western journalist to ask the Russian president for an interview, but emphasized that he was chosen because he did not cover the war in what they said was a "one-sided" way like the rest of the Western media.

Once one of the stars of Fox News, he was fired last April. Carlson, 54, is known for his conservative and sometimes far-right views and controversial statements. His closeness to the Republican Party is considered one of the reasons why he took the interview from the Russian head of state and is interpreted as a signal that Moscow expects the battle for the White House to be won by Trump.

Putin spent over 30 minutes reviewing the history of Europe, beginning in the 9th century. It follows criticism of former US President Bill Clinton for giving him a request that Russia could join NATO, which he immediately withdrew.

It was the expansion of NATO and Ukraine's potential accession to the Pact that the Russian president cited as the reason for starting the war two years ago, when in the 50th minute Tucker Carlson asked him again why he was started the invasion.

Asked how he would comment on fears of the war in Ukraine turning into World War III and a potential Russian invasion of Poland and Lithuania, Putin said his country has no territorial claims to those countries. He also rejected claims that Moscow is threatening the West with nuclear war.

"They are trying to sow fear with an imaginary Russian threat. It is obvious. I believe that those who know how to reason are aware that there is nothing true in such statements", Putin was categorical.

As for his relationship with Joe Biden, Putin said he did not remember the last time the two spoke.

The topics of war crimes allegations by the Russian military in Bucha and elsewhere, the forced removal of Ukrainian children to Russia and the subsequent arrest warrant for Putin by the International Criminal Court, were not raised.

Carlson did not ask questions about the mysterious death of political opponents of the president, nor about the fate of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Russia would continue to sell gas to Europe if some sanctions were lifted, the Russian president also said, adding that he believed the CIA was behind blowing up the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

The entire interview was also published on Carlson's account on the social network "X", but it is expected to be taken down because it violates EU rules on the prohibition of hate speech.

Zelensky replaced the head of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Change at the top of the Ukrainian army. The President of Ukraine appointed Oleksandr Syrskyi as the Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to replace General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

Syrskyi is known as the "Protector of Kyiv". He commanded the ground forces since 2019. Zelensky has offered Zaluzhnyi to remain in the leadership team.

Speculations about the change have been going on for days because the disagreements between Zaluzhnyi and Zelensky became public. Zaluzhnyi believes the war is at a standstill and has pushed for a greater focus on technology, in contrast to Zelensky's more optimistic view.

The president was also opposed to Zaluzhnyi's request for additional mobilization after the poor results of a Ukrainian counter-offensive last year.

"I expect the following changes in the armed forces in the near future: a realistic, detailed plan of action for 2024 on the table. The real situation on the battlefield and prospects should be taken into account," said President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

Putin: The war will end if the US stops giving weapons to Ukraine

Russia has no interest in expanding its war, but will fight for its interests, Vladimir Putin said in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.

The former Fox News anchor published excerpts of his conversation with the Russian president. Carlson is the first Western journalist to speak with Putin since the war began in February 2022.

The journalist close to Donald Trump reported that he did it to show the Russian point of view.

When asked if he intends to attack other countries, including Poland and Lithuania, Putin answered "no" and emphasized that he has no territorial claims to them.

The Russian president did not rule out the possibility of releasing the American journalist Evan Greshkovich, who has been in Russian custody for several months.

When asked if he didn't think he could end the war with a phone call to Joe Biden, Putin replied:

"What do we have to clarify? It's very simple - I repeat - we communicate with the United States through many services. I'll tell you what we tell them - if you really want to stop the fighting, you just have to stop providing weapons. So it will all be over in a few weeks. That's it. Only after that we can discuss some conditions. Why should I call him, what should we talk about, should I ask him for something? You will give Ukraine such and such weapons, oh no, I'm afraid well, please don't. Is that what we should be saying?" said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 100 prisoners of war each

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 100 prisoners of war from each country - with the mediation of the United Arab Emirates, Reuters reported.

In his evening video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that over 3,000 Ukrainians have already returned home.

“We always remember our people in captivity - every single one of them. We must free them all. We are working for this every day. I thank everyone around the world who is assisting us, especially the United Arab Emirates, for supporting such exchange cases” Zelensky added.

Russia thwarted a Ukrainian drone attack on a fuel and energy complex in the Oryol region

Russian air defense systems prevented a Ukrainian attempt to attack facilities in a fuel and energy complex in the Oryol Oblast, the governor of the region, Andrei Klichkov, announced today on the Telegram platform.

The air defense system prevented an attempt to attack four Ukrainian drones against objects of the fuel and energy complex in the Oryol region. There were no casualties, Klichkov said, quoted by TASS.

Russia's air defense systems intercepted and destroyed a total of 19 unmanned aerial vehicles that night - two over Kursk Oblast, five over Briansk and four over Oryol Oblast, as well as two over Krasnodar Territory and six in the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

An elderly woman was killed in Russian air attacks against the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka

Russian forces launched two rocket attacks on the town of Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region today, killing a 72-year-old woman and damaging two civilian houses. This was reported by the Ukrinform agency, referring to a Facebook post by the head of the regional military administration, Vadim Filashkin.

"In the afternoon, the Russians fired two rockets at the city - a 72-year-old woman was killed, two houses were damaged," Filashkin reported.

According to him, there are now more than 900 residents left in the town of Avdiivka.

In the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih there was an explosion, so far without destruction, Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's military administration, reported on "Telegram", adds Ukrinform.

Novinite remains the sole Bulgarian media outlet consistently delivering daily updates and key insights concerning the conflict. Our reporting commenced on the first day, 24th February 2022, and will persist until the conflict's resolution. Despite challenges, our independent journalism remains committed to offering precise, current news to our audience. We appreciate your ongoing support in staying informed! #stayinformed #WarInUkraine

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