Zelensky Replaces Army Chief Syrsky With Drapaty After Days of Protests

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky after days of political tension and public protests that followed the removal of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

The Ukrainian leader announced that Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapaty will take over as the country’s new army chief.

Syrsky, 60, had led Ukraine’s armed forces since 2024 and was regarded as one of the country’s most experienced military commanders, having played a key role in defending Kyiv during the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

His dismissal follows growing controversy surrounding the departure of the widely admired, technology-driven Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who claimed Syrsky blocked key military reforms and influenced the decision that led to his removal.

“I have decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mykhailo Drapaty,” Zelensky said in a post on Telegram.

“I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrsky and to each of our warriors for Ukraine’s strong frontline positions.”

Questions over Syrsky’s future intensified last week after Zelensky removed Fedorov just six months after appointing him to lead the defence ministry.

Fedorov, 35, had gained widespread recognition for his efforts to modernise Ukraine’s military through technological innovation. Following his dismissal, he accused Syrsky of frustrating his reform agenda and pressuring Zelensky to remove him from office, allegations the former army chief denied.

The dispute exposed uncommon divisions between Ukraine’s political leadership and military establishment at a time when Kyiv has managed to slow Russian advances on the battlefield.

In recent months, Ukrainian forces have significantly reduced the pace of Russia’s territorial gains while carrying out long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities, which Kyiv says are helping to finance Moscow’s military campaign.

Drapaty, who now becomes Ukraine’s new Commander-in-Chief, is a decorated major general with extensive battlefield experience. He previously commanded Ukraine’s Ground Forces and fought against Russian-backed separatists during the conflict in the Donbas region.

He is widely known in Ukraine for a video that allegedly showed him driving an armoured vehicle through a separatist checkpoint in Mariupol during clashes between government troops and pro-Russian militias in 2014.

Reacting to his appointment, Drapaty expressed gratitude to President Zelensky.

“Serving Ukraine has always been an honour for me, and during the war for independence it means absolute responsibility,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Glory to the nation. Death to the enemies.”

Former Defence Minister Fedorov welcomed the appointment, describing it as a positive development for Ukraine’s military.

“This is a breath of fresh air and a new hope in the struggle of free people for freedom and justice,” he wrote on social media.

Fedorov’s dismissal last Wednesday triggered demonstrations across Ukraine, with thousands calling for reforms within the armed forces and demanding Syrsky’s removal.

Although President Zelensky had initially resisted pressure to dismiss Syrsky, analysts noted that the former commander had increasingly faced criticism over battlefield casualties, procurement delays, military equipment issues and the pace of reforms.

Unlike Syrsky’s predecessor, Valery Zaluzhny, whose popularity posed political challenges, analysts believe Syrsky was viewed more as a career military officer than a political rival.

With Drapaty’s appointment, Ukraine now has its third Commander-in-Chief since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Meanwhile, both Ukraine and Russia have continued to intensify aerial attacks, with the United Nations reporting a rise in civilian casualties in Ukraine in recent months.