Outgoing Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrsky issued his first public statement following his resignation, defending his wartime leadership.In a lengthy Telegram post, Syrsky reflected on his service, from the defense of Kyiv in 2022 to leading the AFU during some of the most difficult phases of Russia‘s full-scale invasion.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“Today I am leaving the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Syrsky wrote. “Whatever my status, I will serve Ukraine until Victory.”Syrsky recalled commanding the defense of Kyiv during the opening weeks of the invasion and later overseeing Ukraine’s successful Kharkiv counteroffensive, which liberated Balakliia, Izium, and Kupiansk. He also highlighted operations against Russia’s Wagner mercenary group in the Donetsk region.Reflecting on his appointment as AFU’s commander-in-chief in February 2024, Syrsky said one of his first decisions was ordering the withdrawal from Avdiivka to preserve the lives of Ukrainian troops.He credited Ukraine’s military with later halting Russian offensives in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions before launching the Kursk operation, which brought combat onto Russian territory for the first time during the full-scale war.“Our goal was never the occupation of foreign land,” Syrsky wrote. “Our goal was to disrupt the enemy’s planned offensive on Sumy and Kharkiv, draw away its most combat-ready forces, and replenish the prisoner exchange fund. All of this was accomplished.”