[1] On 20 July 2022 during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sergei Shoigu, the Minister of Defence of Russia, appointed Sychevoi commander of Russian forces of the Western Military District,[2] replacing Colonel General Alexander Zhuravlyov, who was removed after the initial phases of the war.

[4] In early September 2022, Newsweek speculated that Sychevoi had been captured by Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv.

[5] However, the individual captured was an unrelated minor Russian officer that had a similar appearance to Sychevoi.

Sychevoi is infamous for refusing any and all media comment, however, Russian milbloggers reported that he was in charge of the defense of the Donetsk Oblast during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive and was sacked of his command on October 1, 2023, for poor performance.

[8] Since May 6, 2022, he has been under Canadian sanctions for "complicity in President Putin's choice to invade a peaceful and sovereign country".