As a result of the decision of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, 58-year-old Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi became the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing 50-year-old Valery Zaluzhny , who was dismissed.
This is exactly what the president announced in a special address, adding words of thanks to Zaluzhny for his service. Zelensky noted him as the most experienced Ukrainian commander, emphasizing his successful operations, in particular, the defense during the Kyiv defense operation and the offensive during the Kharkiv liberation operation.
This personnel change was the result of prolonged political scandals that lasted for three months.
The appointment of Oleksandr Syrskyi to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, instead of Valery Zaluzhnyi, aroused public interest. These personnel changes were the result of tensions between the Office of the President and the former commander-in-chief, which turned into a public debate.
The tension between the parties began as early as November 2023, when Valery Zaluzhnyi published an article in The Economist, in which he described the situation on the military front as "dead end" and expressed his thoughts on possible ways out. This drew criticism from the deputy head of the Office of the President, Ihor Zhovkva, who accused Zaluzhny of causing panic among Western allies and facilitating the aggressor's work. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi publicly rejected Zaluzhny's views.
In the next stage, without summoning Zaluzhny, the new Minister of Defense Rustem Umyerov, according to him, initiated the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Special Operations Forces Viktor Horenko. This decision also caused mixed reactions and accusations.
Although the resignation of Zaluzhny was predicted as early as November 2023, the presidential team considered the conflict between Zelensky and Zaluzhny to be a temporary phenomenon. However, three months later, personnel rotation took place, appointing a new commander-in-chief.
In the evening of January 29, various mass media, Telegram channels and members of the Verkhovna Rada began to spread information about the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny.
According to a BBC report, a meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyi, Valery Zaluzhny and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov did take place in the President's Office that day. During the meeting, the head of state announced his decision to dismiss the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Zelenskyi also noted that the corresponding decree will be signed in the near future.
However, after the spread of this information in the mass media, the press secretary of the Office of the President, Serhii Nikiforov, was forced to publicly report that "the president did not fire Zaluzhny."
It is not known to the end what prompted Zelensky to postpone the signing and publication of the decree on the dismissal of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. One of the versions points to the resistance of Western partners against this personnel decision, while other sources claim that both candidates for the position of commander-in-chief - Oleksandr Syrskyi and Kyrylo Budanov - refused to accept the position.
In the end, the decree on the release of Zaluzhny was signed, and the head of the Ukrainian army became the experienced general Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was called the favorite of the head of the Office of the President.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, born on July 26, 1965 in the village of Novinky, Vladimir region of Russia, is a well-known military figure with many years of service experience.
After graduating from the Moscow Higher Military Command School in 1986, Syrsky began serving in the National Guard, later joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In 1996, he successfully graduated from the Armed Forces Academy, and in 2005, he received an education at the National Defense University.
During the 2000s, Syrsky headed the 72nd mechanized brigade and was actively involved in Ukraine's cooperation with NATO.
In the winter of 2015, he played a key role in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) during the battles for Debaltseve, successfully withdrawing the Ukrainian group from the almost surrounded city, which was threatened by the Russian army. For this feat, Oleksandr Syrskyi was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi.
Since 2016, he has headed the Joint Operational Headquarters responsible for coordinating the actions of the Ukrainian military in Donbas, and since 2019 he has been in charge of the Ground Forces.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, born on July 26, 1965 in the village of Novinky, Vladimir region of Russia, is an outstanding military figure with impressive service experience.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, Syrsky took responsibility for the defense of Kyiv, for which he received the title "Hero of Ukraine". He decided to mobilize military training centers to create temporary battalions and delivered artillery systems normally used for training to the capital.
By organizing the city into sectors and appointing generals from military training centers to lead each district, Syrsky created a clear system of subordination that allowed officers on the spot to make tactical decisions without delay.
During the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022, Syrsky distinguished himself as one of the leaders of the operation. He is considered a military strategist who prepares for any contingencies, even those considered extremely unlikely.
However, some officers expressed negative feedback about Syrsky, criticizing his attitude towards saving the lives of soldiers and interfering in the management of units at the company level. It was also pointed out his good relations with the President's Office and the possibility of being appointed to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces as early as spring 2022.
It is reported that there were disagreements between Oleksandr Syrsky and Valery Zaluzhny regarding the strategy related to the city of Bakhmut.
At first, there were disagreements about whether it was necessary to withdraw from the city earlier in the winter of 2023, and then whether it was necessary to attack the city already in the summer and autumn of 2023, in parallel with the counteroffensive in the south.
In 2023, Syrsky commanded the eastern group of troops, which was actively engaged in combat operations in the most tense areas of the front. The Battle of Bakhmut was under his control.
According to the New York Times, in the summer of 2023, American strategists insisted that Zaluzhny concentrate on a breakthrough in the southern direction, rather than scattering resources between the southern and eastern directions. According to sources, Zaluzhny agreed with this recommendation.
However, the Ukrainian army continued offensive operations behind Bakhmut, which was advocated by Syrskyi.
In his interview with the BBC, Syrsky called the offensive battle near Bakhmut, where thousands of Ukrainian soldiers died, "a matter of principle and a matter of honor." He expressed the opinion that the Armed Forces could surround the city captured by the Russians, but it never happened.
From the fall of 2023, the operational-strategic group "Khortytsia", under the command of Oleksandr Syrskyi, assumes responsibility for the defense of the section of the front near Kupyansk and Lyman. Here, Russian troops are conducting active attacks, and Ukrainian forces are on the defensive.
The main task of Russia in this direction is to push back the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the eastern bank of the Oskil and Cherny Zherebets rivers, in order to reduce the threat of an attack on the occupied cities of Svatove and Kreminna in the Luhansk region.
It is also possible that the army of the Russian Federation is trying to capture the cities of Kupyansk and Lyman, which have already been liberated in the fall of 2022, since these settlements have important strategic importance as major railway junctions and important points for sustainable defense in the area.
During six months of attacks on this area, the Russian army managed to achieve only a small advance on the section of the Kupyansk - Svatove road. However, they suffered significant losses in equipment and personnel.
Despite this, according to Syrsky's words, the situation on this front remains difficult. This is due to the fact that, in addition to the direction near Kupyansk, at the end of last year, Russia launched an offensive near Siversk and Chasovoy Yar in Donetsk region.
According to the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all the enemy's attempts were unsuccessful.
