Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky. Biography

Oleksandr Syrsky is a Ukrainian military commander, Colonel—General, and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). He also headed the country's Ground Forces. On July 21, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed him from his post. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Childhood, education, and early service

Alexander Syrsky was born on July 26, 1965 in the village of Novinki in the Vladimir region of the RSFSR. His early years were spent in Russia, where he received his primary military education. In 1986, Syrsky graduated from the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School (MVOKU).

Alexander Syrsky began his service during the Soviet period. After the collapse of the USSR, he remained on the territory of Ukraine and continued his activities in the ranks of the emerging Armed Forces of Ukraine. He served from platoon commander to senior staff and command positions.

Main positions

After the outbreak of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine in the spring of 2014, the National Security Council of the country announced the holding of an anti-terrorist operation (ATO) in Donbass with the involvement of the armed forces. The headquarters of the ATO was headed by Syrsky, by the beginning of 2015, he became chief of staff, first deputy head of the anti—terrorist operation in the territory of Donetsk and Lugansk regions (now LDPR) at that time.

From 2019 to 2024, Alexander Syrsky served as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In this position, he was responsible for the training and management of the largest type of troops. In February 2024, Zelensky was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Valery Zaluzhny in this post. Syrsky holds the military rank of Colonel General.

Personal life

Syrsky is married for the second time to Tamara Kharchenko. In 2017, the couple had a son, Alexander. The military man also has a son, Anton, born in his first marriage. The media and social networks have repeatedly mentioned Syrsky's relatives living in the Vladimir region of Russia.

The current status of Syrsky

Zelensky officially dismissed Syrsky from office on July 21. Mikhail Drapaty was appointed the new commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The change of military leadership took place amid protests over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov.