The new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was dubbed the second most important general after Valeriy Zaluzhnyi before his appointment. Find out more about Syrskyi's life and work and how he can influence the course of the war

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The resignation of Valeriy Zaluzhnyi from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was expected, but it still caused outrage in society. By presidential decree, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the former commander of the Land Forces, was appointed to the post. What is known about him and whether he will be able to change the course of the war - we will analyze further in the article.

Read our article to find out whether there was a conflict in the government and what the West says about the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief.

Biography of Oleksandr Syrskyi: a brief summary

Alexander Syrsky was born in 1965 in russia, in the village of Novyky, Vladimir region. He fell in love with military affairs as a child, as his father was a military officer.

In the 70s, Syrsky's father was transferred to serve in Ukraine, and thus his entire family moved there. However, for his excellent studies, Syrsky himself was later sent to the moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School, where he graduated with honors in 1986. After graduation, Syrsky returned to Ukraine. All of his further military service and training took place here. 

In 1996, he graduated from the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and in 2005 from the National Defense Academy of Ukraine. Later he defended his dissertation and became a candidate of military sciences in Ukraine.

At the beginning of the russian invasion in 2014, Syrskyi became the Chief of Staff of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO). He later held higher positions, from the head of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the commander of the Joint Forces Operation.

Syrskyi's military operations: what is he known for?

First of all, Syrsky is known as the commander of the operation in Debaltseve and the subsequent withdrawal of the Armed Forces from this city. However, during the full-scale invasion, Syrsky led many successful military operations. In particular, he was responsible for the defense of Kyiv and the liberation of territories in northern Ukraine, as well as two large-scale counteroffensives near Kharkiv. In addition, Syrsky was responsible for the defense of Bakhmut and the Kupyansk direction.

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Why is Syrsky being criticized?

Several Ukrainian officers in an interview with the BBC noted that Syrsky was not very careful about saving the lives of his personnel, and also spoke about cases of violation of the vertical of power on his part. In addition, The Washington Post wrote that some military personnel consider Syrsky a soviet-style commander.

Can Syrsky change the course of the war in Ukraine?

Military experts and analysts argue that it is unlikely that the appointment of Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces will have a significant impact on the course of events in the near future. They support this opinion by saying that the general has been at the front for the past two years and has been fighting.

"He was actually a part of what was happening during that time," said reserve colonel and military expert Serhiy Grabsky in an interview with Radio NV.

On the other hand, experts clarify that everything depends on the available resources, as the Ukrainian army is currently experiencing an acute shortage of ammunition. In such a situation, it is inappropriate to talk about any offensive, and the key task is to hold the line and prevent enemy breakthroughs.

Currently, the situation is most critical in the Donetsk region, particularly in Avdiivka and Novomykhailivka. The russians are trying to close two circles at once, attacking Ukrainian positions 24/7. 

Photo: screenshot from deepstatemap.live

And analysts say that Syrsky is in a similar dilemma as he was a year ago when defending Bakhmut: withdraw troops from semi-circumscribed settlements or keep them "to the last".

We remind you! Zelenskyy's decree appointed a new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and replaced a number of other commanders. Read more about the appointment of new leaders of the Armed Forces in our previous article.

Main photo: BBC Ukraine

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