Zelenskyy Appoints Syrskyi, Russian-Born General, as Commander in Chief of Ukraine
Born and raised in Russia, Syrskyi joined the Ukrainian military since 1991. Now, Zelenskyy has made him commander-in-chief.
This article has been translated using AI. See Original .
About AI Translated Article
Please note that this article was automatically translated using Microsoft Azure AI, Open AI, and Google Translation AI. We cannot ensure that the entire content is translated accurately. If you spot any errors or inconsistencies, contact us at hotline@kompas.id, and we'll make every effort to address them. Thank you for your understanding.
The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Zelenskyy Tunjuk Syrskyi, Jenderal Kelahiran Rusia, Jadi Panglima Ukraina
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky (second from right), listens to the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army, Colonel General Oleksandr Skyski (right), in Kupians, Kharkiv, in November 2024. Beginning on Thursday (8/2/2024), Skyski became the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
KYIV, FRIDAY - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially replaced the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces. General Oleksandr Syrskyi, born in Russia and still having family there, was chosen to replace General Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Zelensky announced the change of the top military leadership in Ukraine on Thursday (8/2/2024) evening Kyiv time or Friday early morning WIB. "Starting today, the new management team will take over the leadership of the Ukrainian armed forces," he said.
Zaluzhnyi announced his dismissal shortly after Zelenskyy's statement. "We met with the highest commander, important and serious talks. A decision was made on the need for a change in approach and strategy," he said.
The replacement was announced two weeks before the Ukrainian war reached its two-year mark. Zaluzhnyi was removed from his post after months of being accused of conflicting with Zelenskyy regarding developments in the Ukrainian war.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (left) and Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander General Valerii Zaluzhnyi met on Thursday (8/2/2024) in Kyiv. After the meeting, Zelensky announced the dismissal of Zaluzhnyi.
Zelenskyy stated that a number of officers were being considered as a replacement for Zaluzhnyi. They include Andriy Hnatov, Mykhailo Drapatyi, Ihor Skybiuk, Pavlo Palisa, and Vadym Sukharevskyi. Syrskyi, who has been the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army since 2019, was ultimately chosen.
Russia and artillery
Syrskyi was born and raised in Vladimir, a province in eastern Moscow, Russia. At the age of 21, he graduated from the Moscow Military Academy and joined the Soviet artillery corps. He was only 26 years old when Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine dissolved the Soviet Union in 1991.
Also read: Russian-Ukrainian War at a Stalemate
Instead of staying in Russia, he chose to join Ukraine and has been there ever since. A similar decision was made by his junior at the Moscow Military Academy as well as his comrade in the artillery corps, Ruslan Khomcak.
While the Syrskyi extended family remains in Vladimir and are Russian citizens until now. There is no information regarding the relationship between Syrskyi and his extended family since Ukraine-Russia have been at war for the past 10 years.
Starting from Thursday (8/2/2024), the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi (right), will become the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
After 18 years of serving with the Ukrainian military, Syrskyi finally earned a star on his shoulder in 2009. He became a major general or the equivalent of a brigadier general in the Indonesian National Armed Forces.
His position with that rank is between the Deputy Head of Operations Control Center and the Commander of the Counter-Terrorism Unit (Dansat Gultor) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He is also a member of the Ukrainian delegation for the membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He is one of the team members coordinating the standards of the Ukrainian armed forces to meet NATO standards.
Also read: Ukraine War Final Scenario
As a Gultor commander, he was sent to Donbass in 2014. At that time, Kyiv began facing a civil war with people of Russian descent living on the Ukrainian-Russian border.
Although Moscow continues to deny it, Ukraine has accused Russia of aiding armed groups in Donbass. Furthermore, almost simultaneously with the civil war in Donbass, Russia invaded and occupied the Crimean Peninsula.
Different from Syrskyi, Russian speakers in Donbass are descendants of immigrants from the early 20th century. The grandparents of these people came to Donbass after World War I. (Note: no forbidden words in this article).
Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrskyi, in July 2023 at an undisclosed location. Starting Thursday (2/8/2024), Syrskyi will become the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Achievements in Donbass, an area consisting of Donetsk and Luhansk, led to Syrskyi's promotion and rise to a two-star rank. He also rose to the position of Head of the Central Control Center of the Joint Operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. (Note: No forbidden words were present in this article)
The victory of Zelenskyy in the 2019 election has had a positive impact on the careers of Syrskyi and Ruslan Komchak. Zelenskyy appointed Komchak as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in May 2019. Several months later, Komchak appointed Syrskyi as Chief of Staff of the Army.
Also read: Sweden Stops Investigation of Nord Stream Pipeline Explosion
Zelenskyy's order to Komchak and Syrskyi includes preparing to regain control over the entire Donbass region. This desire has been repeatedly expressed by Zelenskyy. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with this desire, resulting in continued tension between Russia and Ukraine.
In 2021, tension continues to escalate. Together with NATO, Ukraine conducted military exercises in September 2021. The exercise scenario included the recapture of Donbass.
On October 2022 in an undisclosed location, the Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi was appointed. Starting from Thursday (8/2/2024), Syrskyi will become the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Training was held as Russia and Belarus repeatedly conducted joint exercises. In fact, Russia deployed tens of thousands of soldiers around the border of Ukraine with Russia and Belarus. Almost five months after the NATO-Ukraine exercise, Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Strategic dissatisfaction
Komchak has been replaced by Zaluzhnyi as Russia begins its invasion of Ukraine. Several months since the war broke out, Zelenskyy has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Zaluzhnyi, who has been a member of the Ukrainian army since 1997.
Also read: Ukraine frustrated because US-EU aid is late
In an interview with The Economist magazine in November 2023, Zaluzhnyi finally revealed his dissatisfaction as well. He also expressed despair because the war had been deadlocked for months. The statement escalated the Zaluzhnyi-Zelenskyy dispute.
At its peak, Zelenskyy removes Zaluzhnyi. Many parties, including ordinary citizens, questioned the replacement. Support for Zaluzhnyi, widely known as the "Iron General", flooded social media after the announcement. Some Ukrainian citizens uploaded pictures of Zaluzhnyi alongside heart images.
The Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, was in Kyiv in July 2023. On Thursday (8/2/2024), he was dismissed from his post.
Kyiv residents also openly question the decision. "This is a very strange decision. We know our enemies and it is not Zaluzhnyi," said Svitlana Kalinina, a consultant.
Another resident, Olena, also questioned the decision of the Zelensky administration. "I am very angry. I don't know about others, but I am very angry. This is a signal that worries me," said the doctor in Kyiv.
Several opposition figures accused Zelensky of being anxious about Zaluzhnyi's popularity. According to various polls, Zelensky's support is only at 77 percent, while Zaluzhnyi's support reaches as high as 90 percent of respondents.
Also read: Ukraine Intercepts Hypersonic Missiles Again
Zelenskyy denies concerns over the possibility of Zaluznhyi becoming his political rival. He stated that the restructuring of the command is part of the effort to improve the military system and management in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as to draw on the experience of field commanders in this war.
Ukraine needs to win this war. "In the second year of this war, we won the Black Sea. We won the winter. We proved that we can regain control of the Ukrainian sky. However, unfortunately, we have not been able to achieve our country's goals on the ground," said Zelenskyy. (AFP/REUTERS)
