The Ukrainian army has a new commander. General Oleksandr Syrskyi accepted his position, replacing Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny, who was very popular among the civilian population. Syrsky, known for his successful military operations, remains a "dark horse" for many.
However, having bypassed the unfounded rumors about a possible personal conflict between President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and the former Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny, the question arises: what are the unique qualities of the new Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and will he be able to fundamentally change the situation of the war? The front situation, which is already called "stagnation" and even "dead end", should be taken into account.
According to the legislation of Ukraine, the commander-in-chief of the army has a wide range of duties, including the management of the Defense Forces. However, it is limited by regulations, for example, in the issue of appointing or dismissing commanders of various types of troops, which can be done by the president without the participation of the commander-in-chief.
In such conditions, the leader of the Armed Forces must balance between military and political tasks. Will Oleksandr Syrskyi be able to achieve this? The answers to this question can determine the further development of the situation.
An interlocutor in General Syrskyi's circle notes that the new head of the Ground Forces showed quite a lot of independence in decision-making, but often took into account the position of the President's Office.
After he became the head of the Armed Forces, his team included experienced commanders who had worked for decades in military structures and had a long-term relationship with Syrskyi.
First, it is about the new commander of the Ground Forces Oleksandr Pavlyuk, the new Chief of the General Staff Anatoliy Bargylevych and the head of the Territorial Defense Forces Igor Plahuta.
Young but well-known officers who distinguished themselves during the ATO and the full-scale invasion will be responsible for introducing innovations and improving the training of recruits in the commander-in-chief's team.
Among them, it is worth noting Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, who headed the 59th motorized infantry brigade, and now, as the deputy commander-in-chief, will be responsible for the issue of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as Mykhailo Drapatoy, who headed the command of the Kherson group and will now be responsible for training the military as deputy head of the General Hospital.
Both officers are known for their courage, ingenuity and care for personnel, emphasizes the Air Force of Ukraine, whose representative made the comment.
Both are assigned to key directions. In connection with the acute shortage of artillery ammunition, it is drones that come to the fore.
The large-scale mobilization of conscripts, planned by the authorities for the near future, should be based on high-quality training and training of recruits.
Regarding the comparison of the popularity of Syrskyi and his predecessor Zaluzhnyi, a source in the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine notes: a significant part of the military refers to the new commander-in-chief positively, respecting him for his hard work, punctuality, purposefulness and constant presence on the front lines among combat brigades.
For a long time there have been talks about the so-called "armies of Zaluzhny and Syrsky", which are assumed to be aimed mainly at "their" commander and do not perceive a competitor. However, this issue has already lost its relevance, the representative of the Armed Forces notes.
The former commander of the US Army in Europe, General Ben Godges, expressed the opinion that Syrsky is an "outstanding commander", and the Russians will probably not be happy that he is the head of the Ukrainian forces.
"Aleksandr Syrskyi is an officer chosen by the president to take over the leadership of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is not a beauty contest or a popularity contest. The president chose the officer he considers more suitable for this phase of the war," the American general emphasized.
However, the main obstacle for Syrsky's new leadership, as well as for him personally, may be the reputation of a "butcher", which has been established for him in some mass media, especially in the West. For example, the American publications New York Times and Politico mention that this nickname spread among soldiers during the battle for Bakhmut last year.
It is noted that Syrskyi, trying to hold the city, sent Ukrainian fighters to attack the territories "wave after wave", which led to unjustified losses. The Ukrainian authorities claim that rumors about the "butcher" Syrskyi are being spread by Russian propaganda with the aim of discrediting the new head of the Armed Forces.
A Ukrainian army officer who worked directly with Syrsky admits that he can be quite demanding, sometimes even harsh, in his demands on subordinates. However, he also notes that Syrskyi feels pain for the dead soldiers and failures of operations.
Military analyst and historian Mykhailo Zhirokhov explains that soldiers on the battlefield often consider any commander who orders an attack without proper preparation to be a "butcher". However, he notes that this is not always a commander's choice, but more often an order from above.
According to Zhirokhov, such "harsh" orders are often given at the level of a brigade commander, and not at the level of operational-strategic leadership (before being appointed commander-in-chief, Sirsky headed the Khortytsia group).
The head of foreign policy and international security programs of the Razumkov Center, reserve lieutenant colonel Oleksiy Melnyk, emphasizes that "there is no smoke without fire", that is, it is possible that the military operations planned and carried out by Sirsky were risky and associated with a large number of casualties. But the expert sees a positive side in this - now Syrsky will try to change his reputation in the mass media and must take more care of human resources in the Armed Forces.
In his first address in his new position, he already stated that the life and health of servicemen is the main value of the Ukrainian Army. "This is a signal that he does not ignore such rumors. He said his word and now he has to keep it," says analyst Oleksiy Melnyk. "But such a reputation can be refuted not by words, but by actions," he adds.
The arrival of Oleksandr Syrskyi, according to experts, probably will not significantly affect the events at the front in the near future.
"Expecting radical changes at the front is not entirely realistic, as war has its own rules and sequence of actions," says reserve colonel and military expert Serhii Grabskyi.
According to Mykhailo Zhirokhov, Syrskyi has experience in defensive and offensive operations, but the success of such actions depends on the resources that Ukraine will receive from its Western partners.
"A lot can be planned, but without material and technical support, it will remain only on the map," he adds.
It is noted that the planning of large-scale operations is carried out by the operational department of the General Staff, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces establishes general principles.
Oleksiy Melnyk believes that the results of the new commander-in-chief will be known no earlier than in six months.
Regarding the situation at the front, in Avdiivka and Novomykhailivka, according to analysts, two options are possible: the withdrawal of troops or involvement in urban battles.
It is noted that Syrsky faced similar dilemmas in the past, for example, regarding Bakhmut, and his decision to defend this settlement is still discussed by critics.
At this time, according to the report of the American publication Forbes, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine decided to send a new brigade to help Avdiivka.
