Kyiv, Feb. 8 -- In a major shake-up of the Ukrainian military amid the ongoing war with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed his top general, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, on Thursday after weeks of feverish speculation about his fate, the New York Times reported.

"Today, a decision was made to change the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov wrote in a post on Facebook.

"War does not remain the same. War changes and requires changes," he added.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a statement on social media saying he had met with the general and "thanked him for the two years of defending Ukraine."

Notably, the upheaval comes at a precarious moment for Ukraine in the war, amid int...