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(ASSOCIATED PRESS) Rifts within Ukraine’s top leadership have burst into the open following swirling rumors that the country’s top military chief will be dismissed amid reported tensions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The rumors that Valerii Zaluzhnyi would be sacked were denied by Zelenskyy’s office and the Defense Ministry this week and the immensely popular top commander still retains his post. But the reports have fueled expectations of his imminent resignation, which could be a boon for Russia as the war approaches its second anniversary. His departure would be the most severe shakeup of Ukraine’s top military brass since the Russian invasion as the country grapples with dire ammunition and personnel shortages following a failed summer counteroffensive. It also could hurt the morale of Ukrainian troops, who have been fighting grinding battles for nearly two years. A Ukrainian official in Europe speaking to The Associated Press said Zelenskyy told Zaluzhnyi during a meeting on Monday that he must resign if they cannot come to a common solution on key issues.
