In 1993, following the dissolution of the USSR, Syrskyi's military unit inChuhuiv was placed under Ukrainian command, and at the age of 28 he was promoted to the position ofbattalion commander (equivalent to the rank oflieutenant-colonel) in the 6th Division of theNational Guard of Ukraine; he later became a regiment commander in that division.[21] In 1996, Syrskyi graduated from theNational Defense University of Ukraine, and in 2005 he received a graduate degree from the same university.[22]
In the early 2000s, Syrskyi was promoted to commander of the72nd Mechanized Brigade, based inBila Tserkva and promoted to the rank ofmajor-general.[14] He was appointed as a Chief of Staff – first deputy of the United Operative Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2007. In 2009, Syrskyi was promoted tomajor general by decree of PresidentViktor Yushchenko. In 2011-2012 he was first deputy of the Main Directorate of military collaboration and peace-keeping operations.[23] In 2013 he was stationed atNATO's headquarters inBrussels.[18]
Russo-Ukrainian War
War in Donbas
At the beginning of thewar in Eastern Ukraine, he was the chief of staff of anti-terrorist operations.[24]In particular, he was one of the chief commanders of the anti-terrorist operation forces during thebattle of Debaltseve. In the winter of 2015, he went to the city with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of UkraineViktor Muzhenko. He led the battles inVuhlehirsk, the village ofRidkodub and an unsuccessful attempt to recaptureLohvynove. He also coordinated the withdrawal of the Ukrainian military fromDebaltseve.[25] Under his leadership, possible routes of crossing the Karapulka River were blown up.
Oleksandr Syrskyi was awarded theOrder of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree and later received the rank oflieutenant-general due to his achievement during the battle of Debaltseve.[26][25]In 2016, he headed the Joint Operational Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which coordinates the operational actions of various Ukrainian security forces in the Donbas. In 2017, he was the commander ofthe entire Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine. It was later replaced by the Joint Forces Operation.[27][28]
On 5 August, Syrskyi was appointed as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[31][32] On 23 August 2020, he was promoted to the rank ofcolonel general.[33]
Russian invasion of Ukraine
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2024)
Syrskyi withValerii Zaluzhnyi (right) during the battle for Kyiv, 2022
In April 2022, Syrskyi was given theHero of Ukraine award for his efforts. In September 2022, media reported that Syrskyi was the architect behind the successfulKharkiv counteroffensive.[35][36]
During the war, Syrskyi was criticised for pursuing bloody Soviet-style military tactics which resulted in significant Ukrainian losses during theBattle of Bakhmut,[37] and was nicknamed "General 200" (a reference toCargo 200, a Soviet military code denoting military fatalities).[37]
On 17 February, as his first major decision as commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi ordered the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces fromAvdiivka to "more favourable lines" in order "to avoid encirclement and preserve the lives and health of service personnel".
On 28 April he announced that Ukrainian forces had retreated from the villages ofBerdychi,Semenivka, andNovomykhailivka in Donetsk Oblast due to the positions becoming untenable.[39][40]
On 24 July Syrskyi granted an interview to a British newspaper. He said "We will do everything we can to reach the internationally recognised borders of 1991," and talked about his planned use of the F-16 platform to intercept Russian cruise missiles.[41]
On 23 August Syrskyi was promoted to the rank ofgeneral.[10]
Personal life
Syrskyi is married to a Ukrainian woman, and has 2 sons with her.[42]Russian propaganda has spread false information about Syrskyi, including that he has an adopted son in Australia.[43]
^"УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №578/2019".Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian).Archived from the original on 14 February 2022. Retrieved6 December 2021.
^"УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №346/2020".Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian).Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved11 September 2022.
^ab"Zaluzhny is out, the 'butcher' is in".Politico. 8 February 2024.Archived from the original on 13 February 2024. Retrieved9 February 2023.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.
^"УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №533/2022".Офіційне інтернет-представництво Президента України (in Ukrainian).Archived from the original on 4 August 2022. Retrieved11 September 2022.
.jpg)
