President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi on Thursday appointed General Oleksandr Syrskyi as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to replace Valery Zaluzhny, AFP reports.

The head of state called his new commander “the most experienced general in Ukraine”, noting that he led the defense of Kyiv at the beginning of the Russian invasion almost two years ago, then the counteroffensive in the fall of 2022, which liberated the village. Kharkiv region

In fact, Sirskyi was one of two names floated by the international press as a potential successor to Zaluyny.

On January 30, the Financial Times, in an article about the fact that the Ukrainian president is preparing to replace the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, wrote that possible candidates for this position are the commander of the Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi. of Ukraine and the head of the country’s military intelligence, Kyryll Budanov. Both men are close to Zelenskyi.

Le Point noted that Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Military Intelligence Service of Ukraine (GRU), “would not want this job,” according to Tymofii Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics.

The second option was aimed at 58-year-old General Oleksandr Sirskyi.

Then he allegedly expressed the idea of ​​attacking Kupyansk, a key city for the Russian system in eastern Ukraine, in September 2022. The officer is also very popular among the soldiers and the population.

Syrskyi will lead the armed forces under conditions of deep uncertainty as Kyiv awaits vital military aid from the United States, which has been delayed by months of internal political infighting.

As Ukraine tries to quickly reform its military mobilization program, Zaluzhnya’s release could deal a blow to the morale of troops on the 1,000-kilometer front. It could also have negative consequences for Kyiv politically, harming Zelensky.

Polls show that at the end of last year, Zaluzhny, who some call the “Iron General”, enjoyed more public trust – more than 90% – than Zelenskyi – 77%.