5 things to note about the new Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian army

Here are some notable facts about the new Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, Ukraine's key figure throughout the conflict with Russia.

5 things to note about the new commander of the Ukrainian military, picture 1 — General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Photo: REUTERS

Early stage

Syrskyi was born in July 1965 in the Vladimir region of Russia, then part of the Soviet Union. He has lived in Ukraine since the 1980s. Like many of his contemporaries in the armed forces, he studied at the Soviet Higher Military Command School alongside peers who would later become commanders on the Russian side of the conflict.

He graduated in 1986 and served five years in the Soviet Artillery Corps. Some military analysts believe his battlefield tactics reflected his Soviet hierarchical training.

"Snow Leopard"

Mr Syrskyi became head of Ukraine's land forces in 2019. He previously commanded Ukrainian troops fighting a separatist uprising in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions that began in 2014 and earned him the nickname "Snow Leopard".

The biggest win

Some of Ukraine's biggest victories in the conflict with Russia were overseen by Syrskyi. He led the successful defense of the capital Kiev in the early months and was named a Hero of Ukraine, the country's highest honor, in April 2022.

In July 2022, Mr. Syrskyi planned and executed a lightning counteroffensive that drove Russian troops out of the city of Kharkiv and recaptured lands in eastern and southeastern Ukraine.

Bakhmut

Early last year, Syrskyi commanded the defense of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where thousands of soldiers on both sides died in one of the bloodiest battles of the war so far.

Some military analysts question whether fighting for a ruined city is worth so many dead and wounded. Syrskyi said Ukraine’s dogged defense of Bakhmut has “deformed” Russian forces by “eliminating” the Wagner mercenaries.

Military spirit

The new commander-in-chief, Syrskyi, said his top priority was the morale of the army, and he was regularly photographed with soldiers at the front. He told Western media that he slept four and a half hours a night and relaxed by going to the gym. Syrskyi is married with two sons.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters)

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