Oleksandr Syrskyi

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Stanislavovych and the family name is Syrskyi.
Oleksandr Syrskyi
Олександр Сирський
Official portrait, 2021
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 February 2024
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterDenys Shmyhal
Preceded byValerii Zaluzhnyi
Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces
In office
5 August 2019 – 11 February 2024
PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy
Prime MinisterVolodymyr Groysman
Oleksiy Honcharuk
Denys Shmyhal
Preceded bySerhiy Popko
Succeeded byOleksandr Pavliuk
Personal details
Born
Aleksandr Syrskyi

(1965-07-26) 26 July 1965 (age 59)
Novinki, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Children2
Alma materMoscow Higher Military Command School
Awards
Nickname(s)Snow Leopard[1]
Butcher[2][3][4][5]
General 200[6][7]
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 four-star general,[10] he has served as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 8 February 2024.[11] 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.[12] He then led the defense of Bakhmut into 2023.[13]

  1. ^ "Who is Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine's new army chief?". Al Jazeera.
  2. ^ "Zaluzhny is out, the 'butcher' is in - POLITICO". Politico.
  3. ^ Kramer, Andrew E.; Varenikova, Maria (8 February 2024). "A New General Takes Over as Ukraine Struggles on the Battlefield". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  4. ^ "Zelenskyy's new top commander has a reputation as a 'butcher'". POLITICO. 9 February 2024.
  5. ^ Vavra, Shannon (8 February 2024). "Zelensky Appoints New Army Chief Nicknamed the 'Butcher'". The Daily Beast – via www.thedailybeast.com.
  6. ^ Ataman, Frederik Pleitgen, Joseph (10 February 2024). "Outmanned and outgunned: Ukraine's new army chief faces big challenges in taking the fight to Russia". CNN.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "Ukrainian President Zelenskyy takes command of country's armed forces amid escalating military tensions". The Economic Times. 11 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Ukraine war: Bakhmut defenders double down - Zelensky". 6 March 2023 – via www.bbc.com.
  9. ^ "Who is Oleksandr Syrsky, the head of Ukraine's ground forces?". The Economist. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Zelenskyy promotes Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi to the rank of general". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "Five facts about Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's new army chief". Reuters.