Germany’s highest-ranking military officers visit Kyiv at Zaluzhnyi’s invitation on day of his dismissal, meet Syrskyi

Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer and Defense Ministry special staff for Ukraine, Major General Christian Freuding, arrived in Ukraine on an unannounced visit at the invitation of former Commander-in-Chief General Valerii Zaluzhnyi on the day of his dismissal, the German newspaper Bild reported on Feb. 8, citing German Defense Ministry.

According to the publication, the military officers were spotted at a hotel in Kyiv.

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Freuding heads a working group coordinating aid to Ukraine at the German Defense Ministry, while Breuer is Germany’s highest-ranking military leader and a confidant of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

The purpose of their visit, according to the German Defense Ministry, was to “further exchange information on current defense needs and future military challenges.”

Read also: Syrskyi makes his first statement as the Commander of the Armed Forces, main tasks outlined

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Zaluzhnyi from his post as chief of the armed forces by decree on the evening of Feb. 8. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was appointed in his place.

The next day, Syrskyi met with Breuer to discuss the situation on the front lines and the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in terms of weapons, ammunition and air defense systems, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported on Facebook on Feb. 9.

"We are focused on fruitful cooperation, effective communication and real-time exchange of experience," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to visit Germany to attend the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 16-18, the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported on Feb. 7.

Read also: Budanov and Zaluzhnyi awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine

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