Valeriy Zaluzhny bio, age, education, war, quotes, family 2025

Biography of Valeriy Zaluzhny

Valeriy Zaluzhny is a Ukrainian military commander, known as the "Iron General of the new generation" in his homeland and considered a potential presidential candidate.

Ukrainian military commander Valeriy Zaluzhny

Childhood, Youth, Family

Valery was born in summer 1973 to Klavdia and Fedor Zaluzhny in Novograd-Volynskyi, Zhytomyr region, Ukraine. He has a younger brother, Arthur, who, following his older brother's example, chose a military career.

From an early age, Valery was exposed to military life—a military unit was stationed next to his parents' house. In almost every childhood photo, the boy stands seriously at attention, always with a toy gun in his hands, and neighbors later recalled that he constantly played with toy soldiers.

He always knew he'd become a soldier, though his grandfather was skeptical and recommended pursuing a civilian career instead. Taking his advice, Valery enrolled in a mechanical engineering college in his hometown after high school, graduating with honors in 1993.

The young man had excellent prospects for continuing his studies at Kiev Polytechnic Institute, but Zaluzhny decided to pursue his childhood dream and enrolled at the Odessa Higher Combined Arms Command School in the general military faculty. In one of his early interviews, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces recalled:

...to be honest, as a young man, I really wanted to leave Novograd-Volynskyi; perhaps it was my restless nature. Only over the years did I understand what the city where you spend your childhood and youth means in everyone's life. After my seventh posting, I began to appreciate even more the land where I was born and raised—Novograd-Volynskyi will forever be in my heart... But the nomadic lifestyle of a serviceman has its effects: I love Odessa, where I served for a long time, I like Kiev, Chernomorsk, Desna... Unfortunately, I don't see my mother—the dearest person to me—very often, which I deeply regret. I find consolation in the fact that my brother is there with her—a reliable support and pillar.

Military Career

In 1997, Zaluzhny graduated with honors and assumed the duties of a platoon commander. His early career followed the standard path for a young officer: he served as a training platoon leader, later as a combat platoon leader, and subsequently as a company commander, and a battalion commander. As Valeriy put it, "I was appointed - I began to perform my duties, mastering the position. If they offered another - I also moved forward."

In 2005, he entered the National Defense Academy of Ukraine, graduating with a gold medal two years later. Following graduation, Zaluzhny was appointed chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 24th Iron Mechanized Brigade in Yavoriv, Lviv region.

After just over two years there, he was appointed commander of the 51st Volyn Separate Mechanized Brigade. In an interview with a local newspaper correspondent at the time, Zaluzhny said:

Alexander Kuprin's works contributed greatly to my development as both an officer and a person. In addition, I've always been interested in military history and sincerely admire the Soviet Army's history - the principles I was raised on. I try to adhere to them in my work: I value honesty and integrity in people, especially military personnel - integrity above all.

Everything changed in 2014 when Zaluzhny's brigade was redeployed to Debaltseve, where it faced real combat - not training exercises - and suffered defeat. The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, signed the Minsk agreements, and Valeriy returned to staff service. In 2017, Zaluzhny was appointed as the chief of staff, first deputy commander of the "West" operational command in the rank of major general.

He then became head of the combined operational headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and commander of the "North" operational command based in Chernihiv. He soon earned a master's degree in international relations at Ostroh Academy, and in 2021, by decree of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was modernizing and reforming the army, appointed him commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Ruslan Khomchak and promoting him to lieutenant general.

Zaluzhny rejected the Soviet model of centralized troop control and initiated a process of decentralization under the unofficial patronage of NATO. He developed the sergeant corps, required servicemen to learn English thoroughly, conducted joint exercises with NATO member armies, and advocated for integration into the alliance. In 2022, he achieved the Armed Forces of Ukraine's highest rank - General.

Personal Life of Valeriy Zaluzhny

The Commander-in-Chief has been married to his wife Elena for more than twenty years, and they have two daughters. The eldest followed in her father's footsteps and serves in the Kyiv garrison, while the youngest graduated from the Odessa Medical Institute. As of 2020, Zaluzhny's wife works at Ukrgasbank.

According to Elena, Valeriy is a tender husband and a caring father. When their daughters were young, the family loved traveling together and discovering new places in their homeland. Zaluzhny himself considers himself a sentimental person.

Valeriy Zaluzhny Now

In December 2022, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces gave a significant interview to The Economist, which caused a significant public response both globally and in Russia.

Everything we've done since the onset of large-scale aggression is to implement not only our knowledge that we already had in 2014, but also the skills and experience we've acquired since then. And the most crucial experience we had, which we almost adhered to as a religion, is that Russians and any other enemies must be killed, just killed, and most importantly, not being afraid to do it. And that's what we do.

These words, along with his explicit call for Western military aid to Ukraine, triggered explosive new revelations. Retired American intelligence officer Scott Ritter claimed the US views Zaluzhny as Ukraine's future president—the one who'll ultimately sign a peace deal with Russia. Earlier reports surfaced about a closed-door meeting at Germany's Ramstein NATO base, where Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley allegedly discussed replacing Zelensky with Zaluzhny.

Ukrainian Pravda reported in December that Zelensky's inner circle was growing worried about the general's rising popularity, with official Kyiv planning to oust him in favor of Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrsky. But Western military officials have been lobbying hard to keep the Iron General in place. A British publication reported that Zelensky asked Zaluzhny to "dial down the publicity" because of his soaring public approval.

In May 2023, after Russian forces struck a Ukrainian military headquarters housing high-ranking officers, rumors swirled that General Zaluzhny was among the casualties. Ukraine's Defense Ministry denied the reports, but offered no photographic or video proof for weeks. Then, at the end of May, Zaluzhny "resurrected"—a video from his office surfaced on social media.

Meet Valery Zaluzhny, The Man Behind Zelenskyy's Counteroffensive

That November, Zaluzhny gave an interview to The Economist where he admitted the conflict had hit a stalemate. "Just like in World War I, we've reached a level of technological development that's created a stalemate," the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief said.

Interesting Facts

In early interviews, Valeriy Zaluzhny revealed that after his military career ends, he dreams of becoming a school teacher because he genuinely loves working with young children. He would take older students on trips around his native places. The general didn't specify which subject he'd teach, but it's likely English, given his fluency in the language. Zaluzhny himself has three higher educations.
In 2022, Zaluzhny became one of Ukraine's most popular figures, with photos and memes flooding hundreds of fan groups while journalists compete for interviews. Streets in Dnepropetrovsk and Khmelnytsky regions are named after Zaluzhny.
Since his pioneer times, Valeriy Zaluzhny has maintained a passion for travel and hiking. In every city where he served, the general made it personal: he'd throw on a tracksuit and walk the streets, exploring block by block each week.
General Zaluzhny is wanted by the Prosecutor's Office of the Lugansk People's Republic. He faces charges of genocide and using prohibited warfare methods, which could result in a life sentence. Russia has filed similar charges and declared him federally wanted.

Important Life Events

1989: Enrolled in Novograd-Volynskyi Mechanical Engineering College.
1993: Entered the Odessa Higher Combined Command School.
1997: After graduating from the school with distinction, was appointed as a platoon commander.
2007: Graduated from the National Defense Academy of Ukraine. Appointed as the Chief of Staff, first deputy commander of the 24th Iron Mechanized Brigade in Yavoriv, Lviv region.
2009: Appointed as the commander of the 51st Volyn Separate Mechanized Brigade.
2014: Graduated from the National University of Defense of Ukraine. Appointed as the deputy commander of the "C" sector. Participated in combat operations in Donbass.
2016: Awarded the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky of the third degree.
2017: Earned the rank of Major General. Appointed as the Chief of Staff, first deputy commander of the operational command "West".
2018: Appointed as the head of the joint operational headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
2019: Appointed as the commander of the operational command "North".
2020: Earned a Master's degree in International Relations at the Ostroh Academy.
2021: Earned the rank of Lieutenant General. Appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Became a member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
2022: Earned the highest rank in the Armed Forces of Ukraine - General. Awarded the Cross of Military Merit. Honored with the All-Ukrainian Brothers Lepky Prize.