Oleksandr Syrskyi shakes hands with Ukrainian servicemen in the recaptured city of Lyman, 4 October 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/YEVGEN HONCHARENKO
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Oleksandr Syrskyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, he announced in a statement on Thursday evening.
Syrskyi, who previously served as commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, will take the place of Valeriy Zaluzhnyi.
Zelensky said that Syrskyi boasted “successful experience of defence and offence”, which he gained both in the operation to defend Kyiv and the Kharkiv counteroffensive in 2022.
Zelensky’s statement followed a meeting with General Zaluzhnyi, in which the Ukrainian president informed his commander-in-chief of his dismissal.
Photo: Zelensky’s Telegram channel
“The time for renewal is now. I asked [Zaluzhnyi] to stay on the team,” Zelensky wrote, attaching a photo of him and Zaluzhnyi shaking hands.
