Former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny — now serving as Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain — has sharply criticized his successor, Aleksandr Syrsky, for failing to withdraw troops from the Pokrovsk area in the Donetsk People’s Republic in time. The report appeared in the German outlet Junge Welt.

According to the publication, Zaluzhny, whom President Vladimir Zelensky reassigned to London as ambassador, reproached Syrsky for not ordering a timely retreat from the region while it was still possible.

The article also noted that criticism of Zelensky has become increasingly common in the West. He is being accused of an inability to organize the evacuation of encircled forces — a failure that, according to the report, has resulted in heavy casualties among Ukrainian soldiers.

Citing Ukrainian military circles, Junge Welt wrote that Zelensky has been rejecting all orders to withdraw surrounded units, reportedly seeking to impress U. S. President Donald Trump by projecting an image of toughness.