Olexander Syrskyi has been appointed as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Previously, this position was held by Valerii Zaluzhnyi.

This was announced in a statement by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I have appointed Lieutenant General Syrskyi as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the president declared.

Olexander Syrskyi, prior to his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, served as the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Currently, it remains unknown who will replace him as the head of the largest branch of the Ukrainian army.

Previously, the position of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was held by Valerii Zaluzhnyi. He was appointed to this post back in 2021, prior to the start of the full-scale invasion by Russia.

What is known about Syrskyi?

Lieutenant General Oleksandr Syrskyi was born on July 26, 1965, in the village of Novinky in the Volodymyr Oblast of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. He received his education at the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Defense University. He graduated with honors from both educational institutions.

Syrskyi has gone through all stages of military service - from platoon commander to deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the early 2000s, Syrskyi commanded the 72nd Mechanized Division in the city of Bila Tserkva. In 2013, he held the position of deputy chief of the Main Command Center of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, responsible for cooperation with NATO. At the beginning of the military conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, Syrskyi headed the Anti-Terrorist Operation headquarters.

In 2019, Syrskyi became the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and since 2020, he has held the rank of Lieutenant General.