The 'most experienced commander': who is the new head of the Ukrainian Army?

After leading the defense of kyiv and the liberation of the eastern Kharkiv region, the experienced military Oleksandr Sirski As of Thursday of this week, he assumed another mission of the highest demand when he was appointed by the president, Volodymyr Zelensky, new head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

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This 58-year-old colonel general replaces the charismatic Valeri Zaluzhni, who leaves the Army leadership with a popularity rating in polls of around 90%.

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Sirski, who like many other high-ranking Ukrainian soldiers began his career in the Soviet Red Army, was commander of the Ground Forces since 2019, a position he reached after leading the troops fighting the pro-Russian rebels who took over the control of part of eastern Ukraine in 2014.

In announcing his appointment, Zelensky highlighted Sirski's leading role in two of the great Ukrainian victories in this war: the defense of the capital in the first days of Russian armed aggression and the operation that forced Russian troops to withdraw from the Kharkiv region in autumn 2022.

Sirski also led Kiev troops in the bloody defense of the eastern city of Bakhmut, finally conquered after ten months of attacks in May 2023 by Kremlin forces.

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The Ukrainian strategy of clinging to Bakhmut was criticized by some analysts who accused kyiv of having used an excessive amount of material and human resources instead of withdrawing earlier.

Ukraine continues to defend the decision not to have left that city in the Donetsk region sooner, arguing that its defense forced the Russians to incur enormous effort to conquer it.

Zelensky has defined Sirski as “the most experienced Ukrainian commander”.

The Ukrainian president expects from the new head of the Armed Forces “a new war mission” that coincides with that of the soldiers on the front, whom Sirski has visited on numerous occasions since the Russian invasion began almost two years ago. .

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The last of these visits took place, according to Sirski's Telegram channel, on February 3, when The soldier visited the Ukrainian troops defending the Kupiansk axis, the same railway junction in the Kharkiv region liberated by Ukraine in the 2022 counteroffensive that he himself directed.

Sirski will assume his new task commanding a new group of soldiers who will replace Zaluzhni's team.

With these changes at the top of the Army, Zelensky seeks to revitalize the Ukrainian side in a war that has entered a phase of stagnation after Ukraine's counteroffensive in the east and south of the country was exhausted last fall without the expected results.

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Despite his experience and the positions of responsibility he has held in the Army, Sirski is a soldier with a markedly low profile, less given to publishing self-portraits and other types of public demonstrations than his predecessor in office..

Sirski also differs in this from the other general who has been in the pools to replace Zaluzhni since rumors of the replacement began at the end of January, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) Kirilo Budanov.

In his new position as commander in chief of the Armed Forces, he will have the immense responsibility of earn the widespread respect enjoyed by his predecessor Zaluzhni.

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His replacement threatens to open a gap in Ukrainian public opinion where more and more voices critical of Zelensky's decisions appear.

In fact, the main Ukrainian opposition parties have criticized Zelensky for this change in the Ukrainian ranks. Deputy Oleksí Goncharenko, one of the most active members of the first opposition party, the center-right European Solidarity formation of former President Petro Poroshenko, described the decision to dispense with Zaluzhni as a “huge mistake by Zelensky.”

More indirect was the former prime minister and leader of the Fatherland party, Iulia Timoshenko, who fired Zaluzhni with this message on Facebook: “Millions (of people) talk about honor and dignity. And only a few live with honor and dignity. Thank you, Mr. General!”

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More changes in the military leadership

The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, continued this Saturday with the changes in the military leadership after the dismissal of the head of the Armed Forces, Valeri Zaluzhni, by announcing the appointment of a new head of the General Staff.

In his nightly speech to the population, Zelensky appointed Major General Anatoly Bargilevich as head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, replacing Lieutenant General Sergei Shaptala..

The appointment of this important position – along with that of his deputies – occurred at the suggestion of the new commander in chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Sirski.

“He is an experienced person and understands the tasks of this war and the objectives of Ukraine,” Zelensky said of Bargilievich.

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Bargilievich, 54, has held the position of commander of the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since October 2023.

According to Zelensky, Sirski has also already identified candidates to fill the positions of deputies to the commander in chief of the Armed Forces.

“They are all professional and battle-hardened, each with a clear understanding of the front line and the real needs of Ukrainian soldiers,” Zelensky emphasized.

EFE