Chief of Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi is 59: About general and his military career
Chief of Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi turns 59 (Getty Images)
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, celebrates his 59th birthday today. Since the onset of the war in Eastern Ukraine and throughout the full-scale invasion by Russia, this military leader has been at the helm of the most complex operations conducted by the Defense Forces.
RBC-Ukraine highlights the key facts of Oleksandr Syrskyi's military career.
Contents
- General's biography
- Military operations under Syrskyi's command
- Appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
General's biography
Oleksandr Syrskyi was born on July 26, 1965, in the village of Novynky (Vladimir region, then part of Soviet Russia) into a military family. In the 1970s, his father was transferred to serve in the Ukrainian SSR, so Syrskyi completed his schooling in Kharkiv.
Syrskyi's initial military education was obtained at the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School, but he later attended the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (operational-tactical level) and the National Defense University (operational-strategic level), graduating with honors.
He began his service as a platoon commander in a motorized rifle division in Lubny, Poltava region, and has since risen through the ranks of military leadership.
Notably, he commanded a regiment of the 6th National Guard Division in Chuhuiv during the 1990s and led the 72nd Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Bila Tserkva in the early 2000s. 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.
Photo: Syrskyi commanded the parade on the 30th anniversary of independence (facebook.com/UkrainianLandForces)
At the onset of the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine in 2014, Syrskyi headed the ATO (anti-terrorist operation) headquarters, later becoming the commander of the Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces. From 2017, he commanded the ATO, which was later restructured into the Joint Forces Operation (JFO).
In 2019, Syrskyi became the Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a position he held during the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
Since February 2024, he has been the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He has held the military rank of Colonel General since August 2020 and was awarded the Order of the Golden Star with the title of Hero of Ukraine in March 2022 for the successful defense of the Kyiv region from Russian forces.
Oleksandr Syrskyi regularly visits the frontline positions to analyze battle tactics, address issues, and support the troops.
Photo: the Chief Commander visits the frontline positions of the Defense Forces in the east (t.me/osirskiy)
There is little information about Syrskyi's personal life. It is known that he is married to Tamara Kharchenko, who works in the State Fiscal Service. The couple has two sons, Oleksandr and Anton.
In several interviews, Syrskyi mentioned that he sleeps very little and spends his rare leisure hours reading books on history and philosophy.
Military operations under Syrskyi's command
The military leader has had combat experience against Russian occupying forces since 2014. As the head of the ATO headquarters, he actively participated in one of Ukraine's most challenging operations at Debaltseve in the Donetsk region. He was one of the commanders during the battles in Vuhlehirsk, Ridkodub, and Lohvynove.
His unit, Bars, covered the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Debaltseve. At that time, around 4,500 soldiers under Syrskyi's command faced up to 20,000 militants.
"For us, the withdrawal from Debaltseve was a key moment that delayed the enemy's best forces. After these battles, there were no serious, large-scale attempts to attack. The enemy suffered heavy losses," the general said.
From the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, Oleksandr Syrskyi was at the center of the fighting. He led the defense of Kyiv in March-April 2022. Under his command, two defensive rings were created around the capital: on the outskirts and within the city.
Bridges in the Kyiv region were also destroyed, and a dam on the Irpin River in Kozarovychi was blown up, leading to the flooding of Russian army positions and hindering the enemy's advance on the capital.
Photo: Syrskyi commanded the counteroffensive in Kharkiv region (t.me/osirsky)
In September 2022, Oleksandr Syrskyi led the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, resulting in the liberation of hundreds of settlements. The primary focus was on rapid advancement. On the first day, the Armed Forces advanced 18 km, capturing a large amount of Russian equipment. During the Slobozhansk operation, major cities such as Izyum, Balakliya, and Kupyansk were liberated. Subsequently, in the Donetsk region, the cities of Lyman and Sviatohirsk returned to Ukrainian control.
As the commander of the Ground Forces, Syrskyi's area of responsibility included the operational-strategic group of troops Khortytsia, specifically commanding defensive operations in Soledar, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka.
The Battle of Bakhmut became one of the most grueling for Ukrainian forces during the full-scale Russian invasion.
Despite the Armed Forces' inability to hold the city, Syrskyi emphasized that "Ukraine was bleeding the enemy dry" at Bakhmut, preventing the Russians from advancing further in the Donetsk region.
The Bakhmut operation ultimately undermined the combat capability of the Russian Wagner Group, with enemy losses reaching tens of thousands.
Appointment as commander-in-chief of Armed Forces of Ukraine
On February 8, 2024, Oleksandr Syrskyi replaced Valerii Zaluzhnyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This followed several months of intense discussions within the government and society.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on Syrskyi's appointment, called him "the most experienced Ukrainian commander." The personnel rotation was explained by the President as necessary to "change the approach" to managing the front, troop rotations, mobilization, and recruitment.
In his first statement as Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi emphasized the importance of clear and detailed planning of actions by all military command bodies, establishing logistics for the rational and rapid distribution of weapons. He also highlighted the need for constant improvement of combat methods and the introduction of new technical solutions.
Photo: Syrskyi advocates for the introduction of technological innovations in the army (t.me/osirsky)
One of Oleksandr Syrskyi's first decisions as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Avdiivka.
The Commander-in-Chief said that the withdrawal from Avdiivka helped avoid encirclement and saved the lives of soldiers. However, the insufficient supply of artillery ammunition played a negative role, preventing effective counter-battery warfare. According to Syrskyi, the Russian forces suffered colossal losses during the battles for the city, with over 47,000 casualties.
A few days after his appointment, the new Commander-in-Chief observed that Ukrainian forces had entered a new phase in the war against Russia, aiming to exhaust the enemy. At the same time, Syrskyi said that Ukraine's goal remains unchanged – to reach the state borders.
In a new interview with The Guardian in July 2024, the general revealed that Kyiv had a plan to reclaim Crimea more than 10 years after Putin's illegal occupation.
"Was this really feasible? It’s realistic. We will do everything we can to reach the internationally recognized borders of 1991 [when Ukraine voted for independence from the USSR]. We have to win … to liberate our citizens who are in the occupied territories, who are suffering," said Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The Commander-in-Chief also said that Ukraine will win the war and he knows how to achieve this.
"I know how I have to do it. And I’m sure that we will do it," he assured.
You can read another RBC-Ukraine article for more details on what Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said about mobilization, the balance of power on the battlefield, losses on both sides, the plan to reclaim Crimea, Ukraine's victory, and reaching the 1991 borders.
Sources: data from the Ministry of Defense website, Wikipedia, addresses by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ArmyInform, The Economist, interviews with Syrskyi by ZDF and The Guardian, and Oleksandr Syrskyi's Telegram channel.
