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Oleksandr Syrskyj is the name of the new man at the top of the Ukrainian army. On Thursday evening it was announced that President Volodymyr Zelenskyj had replaced the previous army chief Valeriy Zalushnyj, who was very popular with the population. There have been rumors for weeks about Saluschnyj’s possible resignation, and observers speak of a domestic political power struggle.

Zelensky is taking a risk with this decision: an opinion poll in December showed that Zalushny would be ahead of Zelensky in the second round for the presidency. Saluschnyj himself has not commented on his political ambitions, at least not publicly.

Syrskyj is considered one of the army’s most capable strategists

But the new army chief Oleksandr Syrskyj is also known among the Ukrainian population. As Colonel General he was responsible for some of the greatest successes against the Russian army in the current war. Syrskyj, considered one of the most capable strategists in the Ukrainian military, is credited with the successful defense of Kiev. He also launched the successful counter-offensive in the Kharkov region, in which Ukraine surprised the Russians and liberated large parts of the occupied territories.

The Ukrainian leadership had initially suggested for weeks that an offensive would take place in the south of the country, which would draw many Russian troops away from the region in the northeast of the country. The Ukrainian army then struck there, surprising the Russian troops and liberating the region within a few weeks. Syrskyj is also credited with successfully defending Kiev.

In a 2022 interview with the Washington Post, Syrskyj also spoke about the early days of the war. “To be honest, I couldn’t imagine that Russia would attack on such a large scale and so brazenly,” he said. “But we are the military, and regardless of what I believed or not, I did what was necessary.”

A week before the invasion, Syrsky had command posts set up along the Russian army’s main routes of advance and fighter planes and helicopters were moved to safe shelters; He instructed the military schools to set up provisional combat units and bring their training weapons to the capital. According to the Washington Post, Syrskyj divided the greater Kiev area into defense zones, each of which he assigned to a general, creating a clear command structure.

Syrskyj was a NATO liaison officer

Syrskyj left the tactical decisions in the battle to the commanders on the ground. Syrskyj has likely learned this principle from Ukraine’s NATO partners in recent years. In 2013, Syrskyj became a liaison officer between the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and NATO. The aim of the cooperation was to adapt the Ukrainian army to NATO standards.

After the Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014, Syrskyj took part in several combat missions and received a medal. He commanded Ukrainian forces fighting Russian-backed insurgents in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine. There he was given the battle name “Snow Leopard”.

Syrskyi received the Hero of Ukraine award

In August 2019, Syrskyj was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces and promoted to Colonel General in 2020. In April, President Zelensky honored Syrsky as a hero of Ukraine for his achievements in the Battle of Kiev.

In early 2023, Syrskyi took over the defense of the city of Bakhmut, killing thousands of soldiers on both sides. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war up to that point. Some military analysts wondered whether defending such a bombed city justified killing or wounding so many people. Syrskyj replied that the hard resistance had weakened the Russian fighting power and tied up the Wagner mercenary force for a long time.

Syrskyj has lived in Ukraine since the 1980s

Syrskyj has a reputation for being particularly concerned about the morale of his troops. He is often seen visiting the front. In interviews, he said he sleeps only 4.5 hours every night and relaxes in the gym.

The new army chief was born in July 1965 in the Vladimir region of present-day Russia, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He has lived in Ukraine since the 1980s. He then studied at the Army School in Moscow, like many of his peers who are now commanders in the Russian army. Syrskyi graduated in 1986 and joined the Soviet Artillery Corps in 1990 and then the Ukrainian Army.

This makes him one of the first generation of Ukrainian military officers after the end of the Soviet Union. This group also includes his predecessor Valeriy Zalushnyj, who now replaces Syrskyj at the head of the army.

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