Oleksandr Syrskyi, the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, appointed on Thursday, two years after the Russian invasion, takes office at an unspecified time.

AFP presents the five main challenges facing the 58-year-old Russian-born general.

Western aid

Ukraine’s allies, especially Washington, are trying to maintain aid programs that have so far allowed Kyiv to fend off a much more powerful enemy.

In February, the European Union finally unblocked 50 billion euros in aid, but is unable to deliver the promised artillery shells on time. In the United States, financial aid worth $60 billion has been blocked due to disputes between political parties.

Sirski takes office at a time of uncertainty about the resources available to his military, while Russia has put its entire economy on martial law.

• Read also: Who is Oleksandr Syrsky nicknamed “Snow Leopard” – the new head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Mobilization / 70 thousand killed, 120 thousand wounded

Ukraine’s military and political leaders are at odds over how to rebuild an army that the U.S. estimates has lost 70,000 soldiers killed and 120,000 wounded in two years.

Valery Zaluzhny, Syrsky’s beloved predecessor, asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to mobilize 500,000 people, but the head of state did not agree to this unpopular proposal.

The president insists on an “effective rotation system,” assuring us that out of “nearly a million military personnel,” only a “tiny fraction” is currently deployed at the front. Veterans of combat units also need rotation.

Currently, the parliament is subject to sharp criticism of the draft law on the continuation of mobilization.

Defense lines

The great Ukrainian counteroffensive of 2023 collapsed on the almost impenetrable lines of the Russian defense. Now, faced with the onslaught of Russia, Kyiv is trying to build its own defense along the entire front.

A titanic task, considering that the front line is about 1,000 kilometers long and is constantly under fire from the Russians, especially in the east, in Avdiivka and Kupyansk.

Air superiority

Taking control of the skies is a priority for Ukraine this year, as Russia sends waves of drones and missiles at it, which Kyiv believes contributed to the failure of the 2022 counteroffensive.

Although the West has strengthened Ukraine’s air defenses, the available weapons are unlikely to be sufficient to protect the entire country. And Syrsky is faced with a dilemma: to use these resources to protect Ukraine’s major cities or to target Russian military targets?

This year, Ukraine expects to finally receive F-16 fighter jets from the West, an essential element for protecting its troops, advancing on the front lines and destroying Russian lines behind the front.

Trust

Demobilized combatant Valery Zaluzhnyi is undoubtedly the most respected person in Ukraine, his trust rating exceeds 90%.

Sirsky, whom 48% of respondents in December said they did not know, also has a controversial reputation. Many members of the military criticize him for not caring about casualties, with some going so far as to describe him as a “differentiator.”

Clearly aware of the problem, in his first statement after being appointed to the position, General Sirsky on Friday said that “the life and health of soldiers was and remains the main value of the Ukrainian army.”