Ukraine's Armed Forces Chief announces staff changes amid challenges on eastern front
Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, has announced staffing changes among commanders in some combat brigades to preserve the lives and health of Ukraine’s defenders.
Syrsyi said he continues to work on the eastern front. "Over three days, it has become clear why, with similar levels of personnel, arms, and military equipment, some brigades have been successful in holding back enemy attacks and maintaining positions, while others have not," said Syrskyi, stressing that the situation at the front remains complex but is under control.
The Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces remarked that "combat capabilities primarily depend on the brigade commander, their level of training, experience, and the ability to make adequate and considered decisions." Those Ukrainian army combat brigades, where the head had personally identified "staff preparation issues," received "teams of specialists to share their experience and provide assistance." "In certain cases, when a commander does not have a handle on the situation, and their actions and commands directly threaten the lives and health of subordinates, I am forced to make staffing decisions," Syrskyi wrote.
On February 29, the Commander-in-Chief traveled to the Donbas, including to the Avdiivka and Kurakhove fronts, where he identified miscalculations made by some commanders in the defense. To stabilize the situation, the Commander-in-Chief allocated additional resources of ammunition and materials from the Ukrainian Armed Forces reserves.
On February 17, Oleksandr Syrskyi, who had recently succeeded Valeriy Zaluzhnyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, announced that Ukrainian troops were withdrawing from Avdiivka in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. By February 27, the Ukrainian troops had retreated from the settlements of Stepne and Severne, located to the west of Avdiivka.
Observers note that the capture of Avdiivka opens up a path for the Russian forces to Konstiantynivka, Kramatorsk, and Slovyansk. Meanwhile, General Carsten Breuer, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, in an interview with DW at the Munich Security Conference, expressed his belief that the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces made a correct and necessary decision to withdraw from Avdiivka to save the lives of soldiers. According to Breuer, Syrskyi "has a plan" and "knows what he wants."