Oleksandr Syrskyi

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Oleksandr Syrskyi
Олександр Сирський
Official portrait, 2021
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Assumed office
8 February 2024
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal
Preceded byValerii Zaluzhnyi
Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
Assumed office
5 August 2019
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterVolodymyr Groysman
Oleksiy Honcharuk
Denys Shmyhal
Preceded bySerhiy Popko
Succeeded byTBD
Personal details
Born
Oleksandr Stanislavovych Syrskyi

(1965-07-26) 26 July 1965 (age 58)
Novinki, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Children2
Alma materMoscow Higher Military Command School
Awards
Military service
Allegiance
Branch/service Ukrainian Ground Forces
Years of service1986–present
RankColonel general
CommandsUkrainian Ground Forces, 2019–
Battles/wars

Oleksandr Stanislavovych Syrskyi (Ukrainian: Олександр Станіславович Сирський; born 26 July 1965) is a Ukrainian military officer. Holding the rank of colonel general, he has served as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 8 February 2024.[2] Previously, he was the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces from 2019 to 2024, and the commander of the Joint Forces Operation from May to August 2019.

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Syrskyi commanded the defence of Kyiv. In September 2022, he commanded the Kharkiv counteroffensive.[3] He then led the defense of Bakhmut into 2023.[4]

Biography

Early life and career

Syrskyi was born in 1965 in Vladimir Oblast, Russian SFSR, then in the Soviet Union.[5] He graduated from the Moscow Higher Military Command School, the Soviet Union’s leading higher military educational institution in 1986 and served in the Soviet Artillery Corps.

Syrsky moved to Ukraine in the 1980s.[6] He initially served in a self-propelled artillery unit equipped with the 152 mm 2S5 Giatsint-S and 203 mm 2S7 Pion self propelled howitzers, including in units earmarked to fire nuclear shells. He later served in Rocket Artillery units fielding the BM-27 Uragan MBRL. He served in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and the Czech Republic until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.[citation needed]

Before the war in Donbas in 2014, he commanded Ukraine's 72nd Mechanized Brigade and was promoted to major-general.[citation needed] As of 2013, he was the First Deputy Chief of the Main Command Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and was involved in the processes of cooperation with NATO. In November 2013, Syrskyi, on behalf of the Ministry of Defense, discussed changes to the Ukrainian army in accordance with NATO standards at NATO headquarters.[citation needed]

War in Donbas

With the beginning of the war in Eastern Ukraine, he was the chief of staff of anti-terrorist operations.[7] In particular, he was one of the chief commanders of the anti-terrorist operation forces during the battle of Debaltseve in the winter of 2015, together with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Viktor Muzhenko they went to the city itself. He led the battles in Vuhlehirsk, the village of Ridkodub and an unsuccessful attempt to recapture Lohvynove. He also coordinated the withdrawal of the Ukrainian military from Debaltseve.[8] Under his leadership, possible routes of crossing the Karapulka River were blown up.

Oleksandr Syrskyi was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree and later received the rank of lieutenant-general due to his achievement during the battle of Debaltseve.[9][10] In 2016, he headed the Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which coordinates the operational actions of various Ukrainian security forces in the Donbas. In 2017, he was the commander of the entire Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine. It was later replaced by the Joint Forces Operation.[11][12]

From 6 May to 5 August 2019 he was the commander of the Joint Operational Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[13][14]

Since 5 August 2019, Syrskyi has been the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[15][16] On 23 August 2020, he was promoted to the rank of colonel general.[17] The rank is no longer awarded in the Ukrainian army since 1 October 2020, but Syrskyi retained it, being at this moment the only Ukrainian military officer left in active service to hold this particular rank.[citation needed]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Further information: 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Syrskyi initially organised and led the defense of Kyiv.[18]

Syrskyi with Valerii Zaluzhnyi (right) during the battle for Kyiv, 2022

In April 2022, Syrskyi was given the Hero of Ukraine award for his efforts. In September 2022, media reported that Syrskyi was the architect behind the successful Kharkiv counteroffensive.[19][20]

Syrskyi has acted a spokesperson and commander of the Ukrainian Eastern Grouping of Forces.[21][22]

On 8 February 2024, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced Valerii Zaluzhnyi with Syrskyi as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, following months of speculation of a rift between Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyy.[23]

Military ranks

Awards

References

  1. ^ "Who is Oleksandr Syrsky, the head of Ukraine's ground forces?". The Economist. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  2. ^ Walker, Shaun (8 February 2024). "Volodymyr Zelenskiy fires top Ukraine army commander". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. ^ Ministry of Defence of Ukraine [@DefenceU] (10 September 2022). "[...] The Commander of Ukrainian Land Forces, Hero of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi is leading the Ukrainian offensive in this sector. [...]" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "Five facts about Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's new army chief". Reuters.
  5. ^ "Who is Oleksandr Syrsky, the head of Ukraine's ground forces?". The Economist. 8 June 2013.
  6. ^ Christopher Miller; Ben Hall (8 February 2024). "Who is Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's new top military commander?". ft.com. Financial Times. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Порошенко призначив Олександра Сирського новим командувачем ООС: що про нього відомо". 24 Канал (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Новий командир на Донбасі: що відомо про генерала Сирського". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  9. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №144/2015". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Новий командир на Донбасі: що відомо про генерала Сирського". BBC News Україна (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Операцію Об'єднаних сил замість Наєва очолив Сирський – Новинарня". novynarnia.com (in Ukrainian). 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  12. ^ "Призначення нового командуючого ООС генерала Сирського: хто він і що це означає?". ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  13. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №194/2019". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  14. ^ Свобода, Радіо (6 May 2019). "Порошенко призначив новим командувачем Об'єднаних сил Олександра Сирського". Радіо Свобода (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  15. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №578/2019". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Олександр Сирський, командувач Сухопутних військ ЗСУ, генерал-полковник". ukrinform.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  17. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №346/2020". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  18. ^ Sonne, Paul; Khurshudyan, Isabelle (24 August 2022). "Battle for Kyiv: Ukrainian valor, Russian blunders combined to save the capital". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Oleksandr Syrskyi, o coronel-general que está a orquestrar a contraofensiva na Ucrânia".
  20. ^ "Russia Confirms Flight of Troops from Ukraine's Kharkiv Area". Bloomberg.com.
  21. ^ "Ukrainian Conflict Updates". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  22. ^ Cook, Ellie (14 May 2023). "Russia's ground forces poorly trained and using antiquated equipment: U.K." Newsweek. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  23. ^ "Ukraine replaces army chief in shakeup at difficult time in war with Russia". Reuters. 8 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Про присвоєння військових звань". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  25. ^ "Про присвоєння військових звань". Офіційний вебпортал парламенту України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  26. ^ ПРЕЗИДЕНТ УКРАЇНИ ВОЛОДИМИР ЗЕЛЕНСЬКИЙ. Офіційне інтернет-представництво. "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №346/2020. Про присвоєння військових звань". president.gov.ua.
  27. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №144/2015". GOV.UA (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  28. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №145/2022". GOV.UA (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  29. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №213/2022". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  30. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №533/2022". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  31. ^ "УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №861/2022". Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 1 June 2023.

External links

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