The Supreme Commander of the German Armed Forces has decided to resign after criticizing the Ukrainian army

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has decided to replace the country’s commander-in-chief, General Eberhard Zorn, after his statements about the war in Ukraine, Bild reports, citing government sources. According to them, this position will be transferred to Major General Carsten Breuer.

In September last year, 63-year-old Zorn doubted whether the Armed Forces of Ukraine would be able to effectively resist the Russian troops. In an interview with Focus magazine, he said that Ukraine is conducting counterattacks that will allow us to regain some territory, but they are unable to push Russia back “on a broad front”. Zorn also argued that Moscow could open a second front in Moldova, near Kaliningrad, on the border with Finland or in Georgia. Former U.S. Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges Criticizes General for “Strikingly Poor Analysis of Russian Capabilities”

Zorn has commanded the German Armed Forces since 2018. According to sources, he will take early retirement from Thursday. As Spiegel writes, Pistorius personally informed Zorn of his decision on Monday.

Breuer, 59, who will replace him, was the former head of the government’s coronavirus response team, earning him the nickname “General Crown”. Currently, he is the head of the Bundeswehr’s territorial command. After his new appointment, he will also be a military adviser to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.