Zelensky dismisses army chief Syrskyi and appoints Drapatyi
After days of protests, President Zelensky has dismissed commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief. The trigger was the earlier dismissal of Defense Minister Fedorov, seen as a modernizer. Zelensky offered Fedorov a new government post.
The power struggle within Ukraine's military leadership came to a head after days of street protests in Kyiv and other cities. President Zelensky dismissed commander-in-chief Syrskyi, in office since 2024, who, according to the New York Times and Le Figaro, stands for a more Soviet-shaped way of waging war built on infantry and artillery. His successor Drapatyi is seen as an officer who emphasizes protecting his soldiers; Handelsblatt speaks of a generational change. The demonstrators had demanded the return of young former Defense Minister Fedorov, whom many see as the driving force behind the successful drone war. Zelensky offered Fedorov a government post in the technology sector, as Serbia's Politika reports. The Russian exile outlet Meduza describes the move soberly as a personnel change at the top of the state. From a Western perspective (BBC), it is unclear whether the change will calm internal tensions or weaken the leadership at a critical phase of the war. It remains disputed how strongly the step will affect the military situation at the front.