KYIV -- In his first remarks since being appointed head of Ukraine's armed forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskiy, said the country must change and improve its methods of warfare if it is to thwart Russia's full-scale invasion.
Syrskiy, who on February 8 was named by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to take charge of the armed forces from Valeriy Zaluzhniy, said in a post on Telegram that "clear and detailed planning of the actions of all military administration bodies" was needed while also addressing the need for modern weapons from Ukraine's Western partners.
"Only changes and constant improvement of the means and methods of warfare will make it possible to achieve success on this path," he wrote in the post on February 9, adding that new technical solutions, including drone systems and adding means of radio-electronic warfare are needed.
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Syrskiy Takes Over As Top Ukrainian Commander In Major Military Shake-Up
Earlier in the day, Zelenskiy awarded Zaluzhniy the title of Hero of Ukraine at a ceremony in Kyiv. Syrskiy's successful leadership in defending the Ukrainian capital earned him the same title from Zelenskiy in September 2023.
The change in the leadership of the armed forces comes at a crucial time for Ukraine, which has failed to recapture significant territory from Russia since late 2022.
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Kyiv now also faces a potential disruption in supplies of military aid from the United States, its biggest backer, as Republican lawmakers block a $60 billion aid package over demands for deep changes in U.S. border policy.
With Russian forces on the offensive across the front lines and making gradual inroads into the eastern town of Avdiyivka, which Moscow has been trying to capture for several months, Zelenskiy said on February the military needed a "reset."
SEE ALSO: 'The Situation Is Critical': What The Looming Fall Of Avdiyivka Says About Ukraine's Battlefield MoodSyrskiy, 58, was one of the main commanders who led Ukrainian armed forces' fight against Russia-backed separatists’ offensives that started in 2014 shortly after Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.
After Russia launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Syrskiy led the Ukrainian armed forces' successful counteroffensive to regain control of the Kharkiv region in September of that year.
SEE ALSO: Ukraine Live Briefing: Kyiv Says Moscow Used ICBMPolls showed earlier that Zaluzhniy's popularity in the country is as high, if not higher, than Zelenskiy's, and some experts suggested that if Zelenskiy ousted Zaluzhniy,it would demoralize some of Ukraine troops and undermine national unity.