You have one side, praise him:
It seems that Syrsky is quietly fitting into the ranks of history's great strategists himself. Here and there, he is already being called the most successful general of the 21st century. His military ingenuity, according to former Colonel Roger Housen, is not inferior to that of German General Erwin Rommel or of other ringing names in the history of war. "I would put him in the Champions League of generals," Housen said. "He's really in that class of George Patton or Dwight Eisenhower." While President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted to the Ukrainian people that a Russian invasion was unlikely, Syrsky prepared for the worst. He divided the city into sectors, each with its own commander, had two rows of defences built, and blew up dams around the city to stop the Russian advance. His defensive strategy was successful: Russia failed to take the Ukrainian capital. Later, Syrsky led a successful counteroffensive in the eastern Ukrainian province of Kharkiv. As a young officer, he was sent to Afghanistan, where Soviet forces were forced to withdraw in 1989. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, he was also stationed in Tajikistan and the Czech Republic. Because of his experience, he knows the Russian military inside and out.
In the Russian capital, he graduated in 1986 from one of the most prestigious military academies in the then Soviet Union. There he was prepared to go to war against the U.S. and Western Europe. As a young officer, he was sent to Afghanistan, where Soviet forces were forced to withdraw in 1989. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, he was also stationed in Tajikistan and the Czech Republic. Because of his experience, he knows the Russian military inside and out. "A huge advantage," Housen says. "He can really see into his opponent's head now, because he himself has been trained in the Russian system." Shortly after the turn of the century, Syrsky was appointed general. In 2013, Syrsky was given responsibility for cooperation between the Ukrainian army and NATO, where he was introduced to the strategic thinking of Western armies.
So that knowledge has already paid off. Syrsky, who has been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014, was able to exploit the weaknesses of Vladimir Putin's forces very quickly in the invasion. The Russian military has a top-down command structure, allowing lower ranking officers to take little initiative. That makes it difficult for Russian units to adapt to changing circumstances. "But on the battlefield, you have to seize opportunities precisely when they arise," Housen said. "Syrsky actually encouraged his officers to take advantage of them. At the beginning of the invasion, he allowed his troops to use hit-and-run tactics to attack the Russians and retreat quickly."
Other side:
When the war in eastern Ukraine began a year later, "the snow leopard," as he is known in the military, was appointed deputy chief of staff of Ukrainian forces in the war zone. Near the town of Debaltseve, Syrsky first showed his ruthless side: after the Ukrainians were surrounded there, Syrsky forbade the soldiers to surrender. Instead, he devised a risky nighttime escape. Most of the soldiers managed to escape, but more than a hundred were killed. Syrsky received a high military decoration for his "extraordinary merits" at Debaltseve. In the fall of 2022, Syrsky was given command of the defense of the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhut. The battle of Bakhut, which lasted nearly a year, became one of the bloodiest confrontations since the war began. Although Bakhut had little strategic value and Ukraine suffered heavy losses in its defense, Syrsky refused to give up the town: Russian losses were even greater, and keeping the Russians busy at Bakhut allowed Ukraine to recover in other places. Not all Ukrainian soldiers supported the intransigence at Bakhut, which cost many soldiers their lives. In the trenches, soldiers would call the general "General 200" behind his back, after the code number used to designate fallen soldiers. At the town of Soledar, near Bachmoet, he had soldiers fight for a year and a half straight, with no possibility of leave.
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Thus, the news that Syrsky is the new commander of the Ukrainian army has been met with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he is known as an effective and experienced general who knows how to defeat a better-equipped opponent. However, his reputation among the soldiers is dubious, and Syrsky is also no match for his immensely popular predecessor Zaluzhny in terms of charisma. Moreover, Syrsky speaks Ukrainian with a strong Russian accent, to the displeasure of some patriotic Ukrainians. Do not think he is the problem on this moment lack of ammo and infantry will force Ukraine to tactical redraw in some areas of the front to better defence positions they have no choice on the moment there is still good news it is said that shells are coming from South Africa hope these reach the front on time also this war is turning into a drone war more and more with Ukraine at this moment with the majority of drone strikes. But also mistakes are made, Ukraine is too late with his build up of his defence lines they had to begin with this in October 2023 to have them ready do not know the extent of progress, but good secure defence line saves a lot of lives. Time will tell.
Assessing this all on the basis of media reports only, of course.
About the butcher naming,
They Called Grant a Butcher. But can a butcher have regrets?
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has replaced Chief of General Staff Serhi Shaptala. He is to make way for Anatoli Barhylevych, former chief of staff for Territorial Defence. Zelenskyy described Barhilevych in a video address Friday night as "an experienced person who understands the tasks of this war and Ukraine's objectives. In Ukraine, the commander of the armed forces and the chief of the general staff are two different positions. The chief of the general staff's responsibilities include ensuring that the armed forces have the right equipment to fight. According to the Ukrainian president, the renewals are necessary because so far the goals are not being achieved.