Valeriy Zaluzhnyi spoke in his book about the army, the war and relations with the Office of the President

At the end of 2024, the world saw the first volume of Valery Zaluzhny’s future trilogy entitled “My War”, which was presented by the Babylonian Library publishing house. The series will also have sequels: “Our War” and “Their War”. The book has already become a sensation, revealing to readers not only the facts about military events, but also the difficulties faced by the Ukrainian army, as well as the peculiarities of the interaction of the Commander-in-Chief with the Office of the President. Valery Zaluzhnyi emphasizes that this book is aimed at young people and aims to show how the modern Ukrainian army was formed.
Destructive years and the destruction of the army
“I share with you my own story about myself, about my thoughts and life decisions. “My War” is the first book in a trilogy, which I started working on back in March 2023. The manuscripts were collected and edited by my wife, for which I am very grateful to her.
This is a book-story for young people, to whom I want to convey an important truth: everything is possible in life if you really want it. Dream and go for your dream!
This is a book about my war. First, the war with one’s own fears that prevent one from doing something. Secondly, a war with people who prevent the achievement of the goal. And finally – a war with circumstances that become obstacles in life.” — wrote Valery Zaluzhnyi on Facebook.
In his book, Zaluzhny recalls the most critical period for the Armed Forces of Ukraine — 2011, during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych. It was then that the destructive processes reached their peak, and the system began to purposefully collapse. During the two years of Zaluzhny’s command in the 51st separate mechanized brigade, its staff was almost halved, only 20 liters of diesel fuel were issued per month, which made normal work almost impossible.
Zaluzhnyi was even more impressed by the downsizing of the brigade in 2013, when its number tripled. This was a signal that the army was on the verge of collapse.
With the beginning of the war in 2014, the situation began to gradually change. Regular combat drills and live fire maneuvers became the new norm. But another problem remained – the bureaucracy, which hampered all efforts. Zaluzhny directly calls it one of the main obstacles on the way to reforming the army.
Valery Zaluzhnyi recalls that when he became commander-in-chief in August 2021, he was struck by the unpreparedness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a large-scale invasion. The management system turned out to be inefficient, as it could process only two operations at the same time. In the fall of the same year, studies confirmed these shortcomings.
On the eve of a full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation in 2022, Ukraine had a significant shortage of combat units, weapons and equipment. The most acute problem was the weakness of anti-missile defense, which was virtually non-existent. This situation became a serious challenge that had to be dealt with already in the first days of the war.
Counteroffensive and challenges in relations with partners
One of the most difficult moments, according to Zaluzhnyi, occurred during the planning of the counteroffensive. Provision of the army was only 50-60%, and engineering equipment – 10-15%. The pressure from partners and the country’s leadership was significant: they demanded quick results and concentration of efforts in one direction from Ukraine.
Zaluzhny emphasizes that such decisions could lead to the death of soldiers and the failure of operations. The General Staff had to maintain a balance, convincing both international partners and its own leadership of the need for a more balanced approach.
The role of mass media in supporting the army
One of the most interesting episodes of the book concerns Zaluzhny’s collaboration with The Washington Post. In June 2023, the editorial office of the newspaper received information about the training of Ukrainian units on NATO training grounds. In order to avoid the leakage of classified data, Valery Zaluzhny managed to arrange an interview, which became an important informational step.
In this interview, which was released on June 30, 2023, he emphasized that the counterattack is not a show, but hard and painstaking work. The general also drew attention to Ukraine’s critical need for F-16 aircraft, because without them it would be extremely difficult to advance.
About relations with the Office of the President
In his book, Zaluzhny shares not only the realities of war, but also the details of interaction with the political leadership of the country, in particular with the Office of the President. He recalls how in August 2023 he met with children and their mentors from the National Library of Ukraine, who had been waiting since May for the opportunity to present him with a self-made embroidery. This meeting, although symbolic in nature, caused a mixed reaction among the employees of the President’s Office. Zaluzhnyi notes that he was repeatedly reprimanded for frequent meetings with children, although such moments, according to the general, gave him strength and faith in the future.
One more episode related to internal tensions attracts special attention. The head of one of the structures of the Armed Forces informed Zaluzhnyi about the failure of the group that did not return from the mission. Although the general does not specify direct names, he leaves a hint about a possible participant in the events – the commander of the Special Operations Forces Viktor Horenko, who held this position in 2022-2023.
Zaluzhnyi admits that his relations with the political leadership of the country during this period were extremely tense. He directly notes that the appointment of certain persons to important positions without taking into account his opinion as commander-in-chief became one of the factors that aggravated the situation.
“My personal relations with the leadership of the country became more and more difficult every day. The appointment without the approval of the General Staff and our open opposition to such decisions did not bode well,” he writes.
These moments vividly demonstrate how difficult the relationship between the military and political leadership was at key moments of the war. They also show how different views on decision-making affected strategic coordination and the overall atmosphere within the country’s military-political elite.
Zaluzhny and his messages for the future
Valery Zaluzhny’s book is not only a frank description of military realities, but also a message about how to build a modern army. The author emphasizes that the basis of victory is not only technology or resources, but also a deep understanding of the situation, coordinated work and trust between the military and the political leadership.
The first volume of “My War” lays a solid foundation for understanding the modern history of Ukraine, provides answers to difficult questions and points the way for future generations.