Appointment of Syrskyi instead of Zaluzhnyi: experts tell what to expect from personnel changes

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed General Oleksandr Syrskyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. UNN decided to ask military experts how the personnel changes will affect the military and Ukrainians.

"Any rotation, any change of leadership, of course, will only strengthen our grouping, and I must say that Oleksandr Syrsky was responsible for the entire eastern front. Obviously, his experience in deterring the enemy, and his experience in countering, namely in the east, where the Russians are most fiercely active, should be scaled up to the entire front line, to the command of the entire Armed Forces of Ukraine," said Serhiy Kuzan in a commentary to UNN.

He emphasized that the replacement of the Commanders-in-Chief will not bring about any dramatic changes at the front.

"There will be no fundamental changes because there are objective laws of war. Each stage of this war requires a new vision and, accordingly, new management. The President made a decision for a specific stage in 2024. Several candidates were considered, and it is obvious that the candidacy of Oleksandr Syrskyi was the most suitable. That is, his vision of warfare during the war and his successful experience, and let me remind you that it was he (Syrsky - ed.) who organized a successful defensive campaign to defend Kyiv and Kyiv region. He organized a successful offensive operation, the Kharkiv operation, which was really bold. This experience and his vision of warfare for this year turned out to be the most relevant to the time," the expert adds.

The expert emphasizes that thanks to the arrival of a new team along with Syrsky, many new victories and many Russians destroyed will be seen in the future in 2024.

Kuzan also noted that despite Zaluzhny's resignation, he still has support among Ukrainians.

"We all not only respect, but love Valeriy Fedorovich. But we must remember that the war and our Armed Forces are the prerogative of the President. That is, there is no opposition here and we need to consider these things not as some kind of rivalry, but as a normal rotation with the usual selection of suitable candidates. General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi is not going anywhere. Obviously, his experience, knowledge, and skills will continue to be used in the Ukrainian Defense Forces to strengthen our military capabilities," adds Kuzan.

He also noted that there is some artificial excitement around Zaluzhny's resignation.

"Any changes are perceived very cautiously, but you know, this is what makes us different from the Russians, that unlike their eternal Valery Gerasimov, who destroyed any figures around him who could replace him, present some new vision," the military expert adds.

Military expert Oleksiy Hetman in a commentary to UNN noted that at the first stage, the appointment of Syrsky could have a negative impact on the situation at the front because the commander would need a couple of days to take over.

"It's negative, not because someone is worse or better, but because the Russians may try to take advantage of this moment when one commander resigns and another comes to a new position and any person needs some time to master this business. This can cause complications at the front during this very period when cases will be accepted," noted Hetman.

The hetman said that many servicemen support the decision to replace the Commander-in-Chief.

At the same time, military expert Oleh Zhdanov noted that Zaluzhny's resignation "is the worst thing that could have been expected."

"What can I say? This is the worst thing that could have been expected. I think this (Zaluzhny's resignation - ed.) will demoralize the troops very much. And we will feel it from the situation on the front line," Zhdanov said.

He noted that Zaluzhny's resignation will have an impact on Ukrainian society.

"We saw the first reaction when the first reports about General Zaluzhny's dismissal from office appeared. I think that now the reaction will be perhaps not as violent as the first time, but it will be deeper and longer in duration. It will not end tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. People will notice this step by the political leadership of the country," the expert adds.

Recall

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed General Oleksandr Syrskyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Zelenskiy says that the new Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, will present the team to reboot the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the coming days.

Zelenskyy also emphasizedthat after the appointment of the new Commander-in-Chief, he said he expected a number of changes in the Armed Forces. These include a detailed plan of the Armed Forces for 2024, an effective rotation system, improving the quality of training for soldiers, and more.