Oleksandr Syrskyi
, the man Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed on Thursday to
lead the country's armed forces,
has played
a key role
in some of Ukraine's biggest victories in its war with Russia, including leading the
successful defense of the capital.
in the first days of the invasion.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi,
who had been commander of Ukraine's ground forces, takes the top job at
a difficult time.
Now that the war is about to enter its third year,
morale is low
, the army is facing a shortage of ammunition and personnel and Kiev is struggling to maintain support from the West.
Syrskyi's selection as commander-in-chief is not a surprise, as
few Ukrainian military personnel have the experience
and expertise to take the place of his popular predecessor, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Syrskyi's successes on the battlefield have earned him the support of his soldiers, who have been fighting tough battles for two years.
The defense of kyiv
Syrskyi, 58, is credited with initially organizing the defense of Kiev in February 2022, when many in Ukraine were still
rejecting Western warnings that a Russian attack seemed imminent.
He later received the Hero of Ukraine award, the country's highest decoration, for his role in repelling Moscow's advance on the capital.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, 58 years old.
Photo: Bloomberg
In September 2022, Syrskyi
was credited with organizing the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region
, which was the most significant Ukrainian victory in the war and allowed Kiev to recapture the cities of Kupiansk and Izium from the Russians.
He also
led Operation Bakhmut
, which was the longest and bloodiest of the war and which has been criticized for the heavy losses suffered by Ukrainian forces.
But
the tactic of pinning Russian forces
in that strategically insignificant mining town also depleted Russian troops and resources, undermining their ability to make major gains elsewhere.
The war enters the most difficult phase
As
triumphs turn to attrition on the front
, Syrskyi has had to oversee the most difficult phase of the war, which will enter its third year at the end of this month.
Shortages of ammunition and fresh personnel threaten to weaken Ukrainian lines as the Russians anticipate a breakthrough.
The main objective of Ukrainian forces this winter
has been to hold the territory they control
, while much-needed US military aid is withheld in Congress, jeopardizing Kiev's military planning.
Zelensky with Oleksandr Syrskyi (left) Bakhmut.
Photo: AFP
Syrskyi was born in 1965 in the Soviet Union.
He attended the Moscow Higher Military Command School and served in the Soviet Artillery Corps.
Observers say his style combines the hierarchical character of Soviet military strategy with NATO's principles of operational flexibility.
Defined as an obsessive planner with iron discipline, Syrskyi was commander of ground operations in eastern Ukraine and played an important role in the 2014 war, when Russia annexed Crimea.
Translation: Elisa Carnelli