Syrskyi emphasised the need for “maintaining a balance between the fulfilment of combat tasks and the restoration of units with the intensification of training,” in an apparent reference to the need to rotate troops exhausted by nearly two years of fighting.
He also stressed the importance of “new technical solutions and the scaling of successful experience, such as the use of unmanned systems and modern electronic warfare means.”
Though he provided little detail, his remarks appeared to align with Zelensky’s stated aim of bringing “renewal” to the armed forces and adopting a fresh approach to the fight.
Later on Friday, Zelensky announced that he also replaced the chief of the military’s General Staff, Lieutenant General Serhiy Shaptala with Major General Anatoliy Barhylyevych, whose experience and understanding of “the tasks of this war and Ukrainian goals” he noted. Shaptala was a close associate of Zaluzhnyi.
But the changes at the top won’t solve some of Ukraine’s biggest problems: a shortage of manpower that has helped sap morale and may require a mass mobilisation, and the inadequate supply of Western weapons to take on Russia’s might.
Kyiv officials are “rethinking” their war strategy “with a new emphasis on improved technology and updated command and control,” said James Nixey, an analyst at London’s Chatham House think tank.
One sign of that may be the claimed recent sinking of a Russian warship in the Black Sea by a new generation of Ukrainian naval drones.
“It’s not going to be easy” for Syrskyi, said Marina Miron, a researcher at the War Studies Department of King’s College London. “There are a lot of problems” for Ukraine at the moment.
She cited a lack of ammunition, uncertainty about new weapons from Ukraine’s Western allies, a manpower shortage, people’s reluctance to be drafted, the tiredness of troops getting no respite from the front lines, and the question of how Zaluzhnyi’s departure might affect morale.
Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘relatively close’ to explosions during trip to front
Ukraine’s Zelensky ‘relatively close’ to explosions during trip to front
Whereas Zaluzhnyi was a proponent at this stage of the war of active defence – securing defensive lines while also searching for Russia’s weak points and hitting rear areas with long-range strikes – Syrskyi “will try to push the Ukrainian forces. … He will try to increase counter-attacks possibly,” Miron said in a telephone interview.
That would align with Zelensky’s desire to take a more aggressive approach.
The Associated Press spoke to soldiers and commanders on the front lines, who expressed varied views about the changes at the top. Some said they would reserve judgment on Syrskyi until they witness changes on the ground, while others said he was a competent and capable general.
The shake-up caused some apprehension on the streets of the capital, Kyiv.
Alisa Riazantseva, a 35-year-old marketing specialist, said she had been “generally satisfied” with Zaluzhnyi. “We hope that our government has not made a big mistake” by replacing him, she told the AP.
Oleksandr Azimov, 61, said there was “some discontent, some dissatisfaction” about the changes at the top.
The consternation appeared to be rooted in previous criticism of Syrskyi’s strategy of holding on for nine months to the city of Bakhmut, which brought the war’s longest and bloodiest battle and cost Ukraine dearly in troop losses, but also served to sap Russia’s forces.
Later on Friday, dozens gathered in Kyiv’s Independence Square to protest Zaluzhnyi’s removal. They chanted slogans in support of the former army chief and called for the ousters of Syrskyi and Zelensky. A soldier tried to reason with the protesters, telling them the government has a plan, but they were having none of it.
With the fighting about to enter its third year, Kyiv is largely dependent on support from Western countries where signs of war fatigue have emerged.
That has left Ukraine on the back foot while Russia has placed its economy on a war footing and is building up its weapon stockpiles.
Analysts detected no sign of a deeper malaise in Zelensky’s move, which had been rumoured for weeks.
“Command changes are normal for a state fighting a war over several years,” the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said late Thursday.
Asked about Zaluzhnyi’s exit and Syrskyi’s appointment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday downplayed the reshuffle, saying that they wouldn’t affect the course of the Russian operation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin used an interview broadcast late on Thursday with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to urge Washington to recognise Moscow’s interests and persuade Ukraine to sit down for talks.
In rare US interview, Putin says Russia has no interest in wider war
In rare US interview, Putin says Russia has no interest in wider war
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in Washington for talks with President Joe Biden on Friday about new US military aid for Ukraine. The vital support is being held up by disputes in Congress.
Syrskyi, who was born in the Soviet Union and attended Moscow Higher Military Command School as well as serving in the Soviet Artillery Corps, is described as an obsessive planner, and his comments Friday said his first job was to ensure “clear and detailed planning.”
He also placed emphasis on ensuring the well-being of troops. “The life and health of servicemen have always been and are the main value of the Ukrainian Army,” he said – perhaps a reference to the Bakhmut criticism.
Syrskyi is viewed as the architect of the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region in September 2022. That was the most significant Ukrainian victory of the war, allowing Kyiv to push the Kremlin’s forces out of the cities of Kupiansk and Izium.