After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed General Oleksandr Syrskiy, the former commander of ground forces, as the new commander of the Ukrainian army on Thursday, global media comments and reactions flooded in, labeling the resignation of the former army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as a risky decision. It was noted that Syrskiy has a controversial reputation. According to Western publications, Syrskiy is considered a close supporter of the regime led by Volodymyr Zelensky, but soldiers despise him intensely for causing heavy military losses, earning him the nickname "the butcher" among them.
Prior to this recent decision, Syrskiy had been serving as the commander of ground forces in the Ukrainian army since 2019. During this time, he received the title of "Hero of Ukraine" in 2022.
Oleksandr Syrskiy was born on July 26, 1965, in the village of "Novinky" in the current Vladimir Oblast of Russia, which was part of the Soviet Union at that time. He graduated from the Moscow Higher Military School in 1986. In 1996, he graduated with honors from the Ukrainian Armed Forces Academy, and in 2005 from the National Academy of the Armed Forces.
In 2013, he was appointed First Deputy Head of the Main Command Center of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, representing the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense during discussions on restructuring the country's army to NATO standards at NATO headquarters. Since 2014, when military escalation began in eastern Ukraine, Syrskiy has served as commander of operations against Russian-backed insurgents, participating in several battles in the eastern part of the country.
After the battles between the Ukrainian army and separatists in Donbas ended, Syrskiy received medals and a military promotion for successfully overseeing the withdrawal of Ukrainian units from certain areas along the border with Russia, before the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv officially erupted in 2022.
After 2016, Syrskiy was in charge of the Joint Operations Headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and led the "Anti-Terror Operation" in eastern Ukraine. In 2019, he became the commander of the ground forces of the Ukrainian armed forces, receiving a military promotion and attaining the rank of colonel.
**New Chief of Staff**
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Anatoliy Burhylyovych as the new head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, succeeding Serhiy Shaptala. Zelensky described Burhylyovych in a video statement as "an expert who understands the tasks of this war and Ukraine's objectives." He stated that the appointment of Burhylyovych was based on the recommendation of the new Commander of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskiy, who was appointed the previous day.
