Ukraine must change 'methods' of war, new army chief says

The 58-year-old replaced commander Valery Zaluzhny this week in the biggestshake-up of Ukraine's military leadership since Russia's invasion begannearly two years ago.
The veteran general faces a myriad of problems in his in-tray, not least ofwhich a 1,000-kilometre (600 mile) deadlocked frontline that has barely movedin over a year of fighting, reports BSS.
"Only changes and continuous improvement in the means and methods of warfarewill allow us to succeed on this path," Syrsky said in a social media post.
The army needs "clear and detailed planning", he said, "taking into accountthe needs of the frontline for the latest weapons supplied by internationalpartners".
Ukraine's allies, particularly Washington and Brussels, are struggling tokeep up aid packages that have so far allowed Kyiv to hold out againstRussia.
Syrsky is taking over the military at a time of uncertainty over whatresources will be available and as Russia puts its economy on a war footing,ramping up production and recruitment.
Despite successes on the battlefield, Syrsky is not a national icon likeZaluzhny, and he has a reputation for being indifferent to militarycasualties.
He appeared to address this characterisation in his statement, saying: "Thelives and well-being of our servicemen have always been and remain the mainasset of the Ukrainian army".
The Kremlin earlier on Friday downplayed the impact Ukraine's military shake-up would have on the battlefield.
"We don't think it's a factor that will change the course of the specialmilitary operation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, using Moscow'spreferred term for its invasion.
- Drone strikes -
Within hours of Syrsky's appointment, Russia and Ukraine launched a barrageof drones at each other in an attempt to strike targets deep behind thestatic frontline.
Ukraine claimed responsibility for attacks on two separate Russian oilrefineries overnight, sparking at least one large fire, a source in Kyiv'ssecurity services told AFP.
The strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities over the past two months arepart of what Kyiv has called "fair" retaliation on infrastructure used tofuel Russia's war.
The drones hit two refineries in Russia's southern Krasnodar region, "notonly the Ilsky refinery, but also the Afipsky refinery", the source said.
"These refineries are legitimate targets. Not only do they work for defenceand provide fuel for Russian troops, but they are also important for theRussian economy," the source added.
Videos shared on social media showed flames at the refinery in Ilsky, a smalltown about 50 kilometres (30 miles) inland from the Black Sea coast.
Damage at the refinery in the nearby town of Afipsky was not immediatelyclear, the Ukrainian source said.
Russia's military, meanwhile, said it shot down 19 Ukrainian drones over fourdifferent regions and the Black Sea, while Ukraine said it shot down 10 of 16drones Russia fired.