According to Tatarigami from X, Syrski is :
1. A very unpopular general in the army
2. Incapable
3. He insists on high casualties-low return type of operation last summer offensive
The question now is what Oleksandr Syrskyi, 58, brings to the war.
www.politico.com
Zaluzhny is out, the ‘butcher’ is in
By
ALEXANDER WARD and
MATT BERG
02/08/2024 04:00 PM EST
Oleksandr Syrskyi is deeply unpopular with Ukraine’s rank-and-file. | Roman Chop/AP
With help from Connor O’Brien, Joe Gould, Eric Bazail-Eimil and Daniel Lippman
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The greatest military shakeup in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion just happened: President
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY replaced top commander Gen. VALERY ZALUZHNY with Gen.
OLEKSANDR SYRSKYI, the former ground forces chief.
In a
Telegram statement, Zelenskyy thanked Zaluzhny for defending Ukraine over the last two years and asked him to remain on the team.
Two Ukrainian officials told NatSec Daily that Zaluzhny’s next move is unclear. He has many offers on the table and has to choose if he would like to further serve in the administration. There’s speculation that Zaluzhny, should he leave government, could mount a political challenge to the current president. Media reports indicate Zaluzhny could also
focus on his health and turn to a teaching career.
The question now is what Syrskyi, 58, brings to the war. Most notably he helped defend Kyiv against Russia’s onslaught and orchestrated a successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv.
But Syrskyi’s also known for leading forces into a meat grinder in Bakhmut, sending wave after wave of troops to face opposition fire. In the end, Kremlin-backed Wagner Group mercenaries captured the city.
For that and other reasons, Syrskyi is deeply unpopular with Ukraine’s rank-and-file.
“Very bad decision,” a Ukrainian military captain told NatSec Daily. The captain, like others, was granted anonymity to avoid retaliation or to provide their unvarnished opinion.
Another person knowledgeable of Syrskyi’s operations echoed that view. His appointment is unlikely to have a positive effect for Ukraine, as Syrskyi is seen by those on the frontlines as a stern Soviet-style general who callously puts his men in danger.
This person added that
Ukrainian troops have given Syrskyi a gruesome nickname: “Butcher.” The captain confirmed that the nickname has stuck, as has “General200” — which stands for 200 dead on the battlefield.
The negative reviews keep pouring in:
“General Syrski’s leadership is bankrupt, his presence or orders coming from his name are demoralizing, and he undermines trust in the command in general,” a Ukrainian military officer posted on X. “His relentless pursuit of tactical gains constantly depletes our valuable human resources, resulting in tactical advances such as capturing tree lines or small villages, with no operational goals in mind.”
A Ukrainian soldier also tweeted a message in a group chat of veterans of the Bakhmut fight: “
We’re all fucked.”
Ukraine’s general staff did not return a request for comment on the criticisms. Zelenskyy, of course, voiced confidence in Syrskyi, calling him Ukraine’s “
most experienced commander.”
It may not be the best time to make any sort of switch. The passage of roughly $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine isn’t guaranteed to pass through Congress. The shuffle atop the Ukrainian military could
harden skepticism some Republicans and Democrats share of America’s support for the war effort. It also doesn’t help that there’s also a striking Washington Post report on how
Ukraine is facing a critical shortage of infantry just as Russia steps up its attacks.
The move, then, “comes at a difficult time for Ukraine, particularly as ammunition and manpower shortages on the frontlines are increasingly acute and a new strategy has not yet been articulated,” said
DARA MASSICOT, an expert on the war at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Zaluzhny’s successor is inheriting many challenges.”