Colonel General Alexander Syrsky has been named the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. President Vladimir Zelensky announced the appointment, succeeding Valery Zaluzhny who has led the force since 2021, via a video message and a presidential decree published on the Office of the President website. The change marks the start of a new leadership team for Ukraine’s military structure, with Syrsky taking on the role from today.
In Zelensky’s remarks, he stated that Syrsky brings proven experience in defense and offensive operations, noting his central role in the Kyiv defense operation and his leadership during the Kharkiv region battles in autumn 2022. The president emphasized that a new command team has been formed to guide the Armed Forces in ongoing national defense efforts.
Biography and combat experience of General Syrsky
Alexander Stanislavovich Syrsky was born on July 26, 1965, in the village of Novinki in the Vladimir region. He completed training at the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School in 1986 and later moved to Ukraine. He graduated with honors from the Armed Forces Academy of Ukraine in 1996 and earned the academy’s gold medal in 2005. (Contextual note for readers in North America: this trajectory reflects a lengthy career across several Ukrainian defense institutions and allied training programs.)
Syrsky began his military service in 1986, leading a motorized rifle platoon. By 1993 he commanded the motorized rifle battalion of the 6th division of the National Guard of Ukraine in Chuguev, then advanced to regimental commander of the same division. From 2000 to 2002, he served as chief of staff and first deputy commander of the 72nd separate mechanized division in Bila Tserkva, and later headed the division, attaining the rank of major general.
In 2007, he became chief of staff and first deputy commander of the Joint Operations Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Between 2011 and 2012, he served as first deputy chief of the Main Directorate of Military Cooperation and Peacekeeping Operations within the General Staff. In 2013, Syrsky was appointed First Deputy Chief of the Main Command Center and represented Ukraine in negotiations to align Ukrainian armed forces with alliance standards, including NATO cooperation.
Following the outbreak of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, the NSDC launched the anti-terrorist operation in Donbass. Syrsky headed the ATO Headquarters and early in 2015 became Chief of the General Staff – the first deputy chief of the anti-terrorist operation in Donetsk and Lugansk regions. He actively oversaw operations near Debaltseve and Uglegorsk, coordinating the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Debaltseve during the battles there.
To participate in the Debaltseve battles, Syrsky was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and, in 2016, upon decree from President Petro Poroshenko, promoted to lieutenant general. He then led the Joint Operations Headquarters, coordinating actions of Ukrainian security forces in Donbass, and in 2017 was appointed commander of the counter-terrorism operation in eastern Ukraine, which was later renamed Operation Joint Forces.
Syrsky during the Northern Military District
When the Russian operation began, Syrsky was tasked with organizing Kyiv’s defense, earning the title Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Gold Star on April 5, 2022. In September 2022 he commanded Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv offensive. He also led defense efforts around Artemovsk (Bakhmut), which remained contested into 2023. The campaign earned him the monikers related to the heavy losses sustained there.
After the counteroffensive in southern Ukraine faced setbacks, Syrsky’s name appeared frequently in media discussions about potential appointments as commander-in-chief. A Times report cited unnamed sources suggesting he declined the post.
Search in Russia
In 2022, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Syrsky under Article 356 for alleged use of prohibited means and methods of warfare. Moscow authorities alleged he obstructed civilian evacuations from Mariupol, with penalties potentially reaching up to 20 years in prison. On May 30, 2023, it was reported that the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a wanted notice for Syrsky.