Who is Alexander Syrsky: what is known about the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Ukrainian military personnel gave the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Alexander Syrsky, “terrible” nicknames. According to the American publication Politico, due to the heavy losses that Ukrainian troops suffered under the command of the military leader, they began to call him “the butcher” and “General 200” – by analogy with the concept of “cargo 200”.

It is specified that Syrsky commanded the forces holding Artemovsk (the pre-revolutionary name adopted in Ukraine was Bakhmut), “sending wave after wave of soldiers towards the fire.” For this and other reasons, Politico writes, he is extremely unpopular among ordinary Ukrainian citizens.

On condition of anonymity, the captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that the appointment of Syrsky to the post of commander in chief was a very bad decision. Another person familiar with the Ukrainian military leader echoed that view, pointing out that Syrsky's appointment to the new position is unlikely to have a positive impact on Ukraine because those on the front lines believe he is “callously” putting his people in danger.

The US explained the dislike of the Ukrainian military towards the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The American newspaper The Washington Post also claims that the soldiers of the Ukrainian army do not like or support Syrsky.

“The decision to appoint Syrsky as commander-in-chief is expected to cause a negative reaction among the field troops. Among ordinary soldiers, Syrsky is especially disliked, whom many consider a Soviet-style commander,” the article explains.

The Colonel General is also reminded of the operation in Artemovsk, where he kept troops under fire for a long time, although the city “had no strategic importance.” As a result, the settlement came under Russian control, while the Ukrainian army lost thousands of soldiers, many seriously injured.

A high-ranking military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the publication that 100 percent of the soldiers do not respect Syrsky, since he does not take their lives into account. As a result, the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine receives much less support than the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhny received.

The appointment of Syrsky to the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine became known on February 8

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said in an evening address that he had appointed Colonel General Alexander Syrsky as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To find a replacement for the resigned Valeriy Zaluzhny, the Ukrainian leader held dozens of conversations with commanders at various levels. The decision was made in favor of Syrsky, whom the politician called “the most experienced Ukrainian commander.”

“He has successful experience in defense – he conducted the Kyiv operation. He also has successful experience of an offensive—the Kharkov operation,” Zelensky said.

Syrsky comes from the Vladimir region of Russia. Born in 1965, he moved to Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR. In 2013, he was the first deputy head of the Main Command Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2014, he became the chief of staff of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in Donbass. He commanded troops during the battles for Debaltsevo, for which he received the rank of lieutenant general. Since 2016, he headed the Joint Operational Headquarters of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and in 2017 he became the commander of the entire anti-terrorist operation in Donbass. In 2019, he was appointed commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

After the start of Russia's special military operation in 2022, Syrsky commanded the defense of Kyiv and the operation in the Kharkov region. Afterwards he led the defense of Artemovsk.