JRL NEWSWATCH: “Former CIA Analyst Issues Warning to Zelensky” – Newsweek
![Volodymyr Zelensky file photo, adapted from dhs.gov image](https://russialist.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/zelesnky-dhs-gov-e1696267579438-300x200.jpg)
“… Zelensky announced … that [former commander-in-chief General Valerii] Zaluzhny would be replaced by Oleksandr Syrsky, … Commander of Ukrainian Land Forces since 2019. … George Beebe … former director of Russia analysis at the CIA and ex-staff adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney on Russian affairs … told Newsweek … the Zaluzhny decision could ‘erupt into a broader Ukrainian political crisis,’ especially given the general’s popularity. … Syrsky said … his priorities would be detailed planning of the actions of all military command bodies, units, and formations and solving issues with logistics and troop rotations. … Syrsky has been credited with the [early] defense of Kyiv … and the [2022] counteroffensive … that drove the Russians out of the Kharkiv region. The new commander-in-chief is likely to act in line with the president’s wishes on drafting troops. …”