British colonel: Syrskyi is 'forceful commander' Ukraine needs

Richard Kemp, a former British army colonel, said this in an interview with The Sun, Ukrinform reports.

According to Kemp, Syrskyi is the "forceful commander" that Ukraine needs.

"Like predecessor Zaluzhnyi, he will devote every sinew to his country's defense," the colonel said.

According to Kemp, he has met both Ukraine's now former commander-in-chief, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and his successor.

"Zaluzhnyi was a very, very popular and a very, very capable general. But I've also met Syrskyi and I would say the same of him. He may not enjoy the same level of popularity, but he's a very capable general. He is a forceful commander who will resist any efforts by his allies to drive him down any path he judges against. As a general he is hugely professional and a driven man," the British colonel said.

Kemp also described Syrskyi as "very intelligent, very focused, and very confident."

According to him, Syrskyi implemented NATO devolved command methods in the Ukrainian forces which made a major contribution to Ukraine's successes in 2022.

On February 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.