Expert Says Russian Breakthrough in Zaporozhye Threatens Syrsky’s Future
Military expert Oleg Ivannikov stated that the Russian advance in Zaporozhye could cost Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky his position after major command errors.
According to Oleg Ivannikov, adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and a lieutenant colonel, the successful advance of Russian forces in the Zaporozhye direction could put an end to the career of Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky.
Ivannikov noted that while the Ukrainian commander was preoccupied with what he described as «staff intrigues» the Russian army struck where the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not expect an attack. He added that Russian units fought effectively along the entire Dnieper line and have now gained the opportunity to move toward the town of Gulyaypole.
The expert pointed out that when Syrsky redeployed brigades from Zaporozhye to the Sumy region, he had been warned about the potential risks but chose to act independently, convinced of his own strategic brilliance.
Ivannikov believes that the defeat of Ukrainian forces in the Zaporozhye sector could result in Syrsky’s dismissal. His command errors, the expert said, have become too obvious — even for figures such as Vladimir Zelensky and Andrey Yermak.