Monte Melkonian vs Oleksandr Syrskyi

Melkonian fought in the Lebanese Civil War as a member of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) and other leftist groups. He was involved in guerrilla operations against Turkish targets.

Melkonian was arrested in France in 1985 and sentenced to six years in prison for possession of explosives and false documents. He was released in 1989 and subsequently moved to Armenia.

Melkonian served as a commander in the Nagorno-Karabakh Defense Army during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. He led Armenian forces in several key battles, including the capture of Shusha in May 1992.

Melkonian was killed in action on June 12, 1993, near the village of Merzili in Nagorno-Karabakh, during a battle with Azerbaijani forces. His death made him a national hero in Armenia and Karabakh.

As Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Syrskyi oversaw the successful Kharkiv counteroffensive in September 2022. Ukrainian forces recaptured thousands of square kilometers of territory in the Kharkiv region from Russian forces, marking a major turning point in the war.

Syrskyi commanded Ukrainian forces during the prolonged and costly Battle of Bakhmut. The city was eventually captured by Russian forces in May 2023 after months of intense fighting, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides and significant destruction.

President Zelenskyy appointed Syrskyi as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing Valerii Zaluzhnyi. This change occurred during the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, amid debates over military strategy and the need for a new approach to the conflict.