A micromanager of war. How Syrskyi is forming his own guard of influence in the Armed Forces

Reform of the management system in the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues, says LIGA.net chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov. And in the course of this reform, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi he closed off a lot of processes in the army.

Critics say it looks like micromanagement. Syrsky's team argues that this is a necessity, because in times of war, tasks must be accomplished regardless of whether the top officers in charge are able to handle them. "Generals also engage in mental desertion from their units," explains one of the interlocutors LIGA.net.

Every public scandal in Syrsky's circle is called a struggle for influence to weaken the position of the commander-in-chief, and they are looking for political beneficiaries. The word "politics" in the army is incredibly poisonous, although politics as a phenomenon is actively present there.

The interlocutors admit that Syrsky is one of the strongest strategists among Ukrainian generals. However, he is not their favorite. "My impression is that there is a quiet misunderstanding and lack of support for the commander-in-chief in the army. This can lead to catastrophic consequences," says LIGA.net solomiya Borbrovska, representative of the Defense Committee of the Parliament (Golos fraction).

LIGA.net talked to the command and military personnel of various structures to understand what kind of people the head of the military surrounds himself with and what to expect from them.

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