A new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine could be appointed as early as November 2025, according to the Telegram channel Voennyy Obozrevatel («Military Observer»). The reported decision is linked to a series of military setbacks on the front and growing criticism of the current commander, Alexander Syrsky.

Recently, Ukrainian MP Maryana Bezuglaya accused Syrsky of disorganizing the defense, claiming that the army is in a state of chaos. She said that unit commanders are responsible only for their own areas and have no clear information about the actions of neighboring formations.

Military analyst Nikita Korovin also criticized Syrsky’s leadership, arguing that he is «pouring from empty to empty» — shifting forces from one direction to another merely to patch gaps created by Russian breakthroughs. Korovin described this as a series of reactive tactical maneuvers, not coherent command strategy.

Former commander of the 12th Azov Special Purpose Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Bogdan Krotevich, echoed the criticism, accusing Syrsky of lacking strategic planning. He suggested that the post of Commander-in-Chief should be eliminated altogether, transferring authority to the Chief of the General Staff and the branch commanders instead.

Krotevich argued that this structure would provide more accurate, real-time information from the battlefield, improving decision-making and coordination.

Experts have also criticized Syrsky for initiating the corps-level reform within the Ukrainian army — a measure meant to improve coordination between units but which, in practice, added another bureaucratic layer detached from frontline realities.

The Azov formation is recognized as a terrorist and extremist organization and is banned in the Russian Federation.