KYIV, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s armed forces must adapt and find innovative combat methods to achieve victory over Russian invaders, the new army chief of staff said on Friday during a his first public speech since taking office.
Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrsky, previously in command of the Army, was promoted Thursday to head the 800,000-strong Ukrainian army in the biggest staff shakeup since the start of the war.
“Only changes and constant improvement of the means and methods of warfare can lead to success,” wrote Oleksandr Syrsky in a message on Telegram, citing drones and electronic warfare as examples of new technologies that could help Kyiv win victory. victory.
Defense Minister Roustem Umerov said he introduced Oleksandr Syrsky to the General Staff and promised him “all possible support for the actions and decisions of the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”
This military reshuffle comes in a difficult context for Ukraine, its troops struggling to make progress on the ground since the counter-offensive launched last June, while the United States has not yet renewed its essential military aid to Ukraine.
Russian forces are currently on the offensive on the front lines and are making gradual inroads into the town of Avdiivka, which Moscow has been trying to capture for several months.
As commander of the Army, Oleksandr Syrsky notably oversaw the defense of the capital Kyiv at the start of the Russian offensive and planned in July 2022 the lightning counter-offensive which allowed Ukraine to retake the city of Kharkiv, two of the biggest successes of the first year of war.
However, some Ukrainian soldiers criticized him for the way he then led the prolonged defense of the eastern city of Bakhmut, where thousands of troops died on both sides before Kyiv’s forces withdrew in May 2023. (Reporting Max Hunder, with contributions from Yuliia Dysa; French version Stéphanie Hamel, editing by Kate Entringer)
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