Who Is Oleksandr Syrsky? Zelensky Names New Commander of Ukraine's Forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky as the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces after firing General Valerii Zaluzhny.

Zelensky removed Zaluzhny from his position on Thursday following months of speculation about a possible change in Kyiv's military leadership. The Ukrainian president said that Syrsky, who had been serving as commander of Ukraine's ground forces, would lead the military through a time of "renewal."

Syrsky, 58, was born in Soviet Russia's Vladimir region but has lived in Ukraine since the 1980s, according to Reuters. He has been known by the call sign "snow leopard" since leading Ukrainian troops in battle during the 2014 pro-Russia uprising in Donetsk in Luhansk.

More recently, Syrsky served as commander during the successful defense of Kyiv shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The new commander-in-chief was also in charge of the successful counteroffensive that began later that year.

Zelensky indicated in a statement shared to X, formerly Twitter, that he had asked Zaluzhny "to remain part of the team," although his potential new role was unclear.

"I met with General Valerii Zaluzhny," Zelensky said. "I thanked him for the two years of defending Ukraine. We discussed the renewal that the Armed Forces of Ukraine require. We also discussed who could be part of the renewed leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

"The time for such a renewal is now," he added. "I proposed to General Zaluzhny to remain part of the team. We will definitely win! Glory to Ukraine!"

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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