Zelensky removes army chief Syrskyi after week of unrest

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the country’s commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, just days after removing popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in a move that triggered widespread street protests across Ukraine.

Early speculation that Fedorov’s removal stemmed from tension between him and Syrskyi was soon confirmed. Fedorov, 35, has drawn broad praise for reenergizing the defence ministry, driving reforms across the armed forces and pushing an anti corruption campaign. Syrskyi, 60, has been viewed by many in Ukraine as a Soviet trained commander resistant to sweeping changes within the military.

In a farewell message posted on Telegram, Syrskyi defended his record, noting that the army he led through a difficult defensive campaign two years ago now stands on the offensive. He said he was handing over to his successor a force that is not just holding ground but advancing, and expressed hope that the offensive would continue.

Zelensky named Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, a popular and battle tested general, as Syrskyi’s replacement. Drapatyi said on Facebook that he would approach the role with full focus, responsibility and respect for those currently defending the country. He also thanked Syrskyi for his consistent work strengthening the Ukrainian army, saying he had grown up within it professionally.

In a video posted late Tuesday, Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his military leadership, including his role defending Kyiv during the earliest days of Russia’s full scale invasion in 2022. Zelensky also said he met with Fedorov earlier that day and offered him a worthy position within the government, though he did not specify whether Fedorov had accepted. Fedorov had been replaced last week by Yevhenii Khmara, a former senior official at Ukraine’s Security Service. Zelensky said all decisions would be formalized the following day.

Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi on his new role, describing the appointment as a new source of hope in the broader fight of free people for freedom and justice, and calling it the voice of change that could no longer be ignored. Fedorov also said he called Syrskyi personally to thank him for defending the Kyiv region and for other significant battles, while adding that Ukraine needs to move even faster and correct past mistakes.

Fedorov had only taken over as defence minister in January but quickly earned praise for using data driven analysis to improve battlefield performance. A former minister of digital transformation, he built a volunteer cyber unit known as the IT Army of Ukraine early in the full scale invasion. He later led a successful fundraising initiative called the Army of Drones and introduced elements of gamification into the war effort, creating a system that rewarded Ukrainian military units with credits for striking Russian targets.

Fedorov’s removal sparked six days of widespread protests, placing mounting pressure on Zelensky to dismiss Syrskyi. Zelensky appeared to respond to that pressure by replacing him with Drapatyi, viewed as a younger and more innovative commander who is also considered a close friend of Fedorov’s.

Fedorov’s clear support for Drapatyi’s appointment is likely to help ease the political tension that built up over the past week. Acting Defence Minister Khmara remains in his position for now, with Zelensky asking him and Drapatyi to develop a new defence strategy addressing issues including reform of the military corps system, weapons supply and drone capabilities.

In an op-ed published Monday on the Militarny website, Syrskyi described his relationship with Fedorov as strictly professional and offered an apology if he had offended him. He said decisions surrounding military contracts, procurement and mobilization involve far more complexity than most people recognize, arguing that real progress, not public drama, ultimately determines the outcome of the war.

Protesters are expected to continue pushing for Fedorov’s return to a position of genuine authority where he can keep driving innovation in Ukraine’s fight against Russia. Should that happen, Zelensky may succeed in repairing much of the immediate political damage, though many Ukrainians remain unlikely to forgive what they viewed as his original misstep in removing Fedorov in the first place.