KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi in his place after days of protests over recent changes to the country’s defence leadership.
The announcement follows the dismissal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that has sparked protests in several Ukrainian cities and intensified debate about the direction of Ukraine’s military leadership.
Drapatyi, a 43-year-old battle-hardened general, said in a Facebook post he would carry out his new duties “with all my attention” and thanked Syrskyi for his work in strengthening Ukraine’s military forces.
Zelenskyy, in a video address on Tuesday, thanked Syrskyi for his role in defending Kyiv during the early stages of Russia’s all-out invasion in 2022, as well as his broader military service.
The president also said he had met Fedorov and offered him another post in the government but did not say whether Fedorov accepted the offer.
Last week, Yevhenii Khmara, a former senior official in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), replaced Fedorov as defence minister. The leadership changes will be formally finalised tomorrow, Zelenskyy said.
"A new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice," Fedorov said of Drapatyi's appointment. He also thanked Syrskyi for his role in defending the Kyiv region and other major military operations, arguing that Ukraine’s armed forces need to adapt more quickly to the changing challenges of wartime.
Fedorov, who was appointed defence minister earlier this year, gained a reputation for spearheading tech-driven reforms. Previously, he was the digital transformation minister, where he participated in the volunteer “IT Army of Ukraine”, backed fundraising for the Army of Drones initiative, and advocated for the use of battlefield data and incentive systems to increase military effectiveness.
The protests that followed the firing of Fedorov have only added to the pressure on the administration of Zelenskyy, with many demonstrators calling for broader reforms of the military leadership. Many observers see Drapatyi’s appointment as an attempt to address those concerns.
Yevhenii Khmara will remain acting defence minister while he and Drapatyi work on a new defence strategy. Zelenskyy said the plan will concentrate on military reforms, procurement of weaponry, drone capabilities and improvements to the corps structure of the armed forces.
Syrskyi has made no public comment on his firing. But in an opinion piece on the Militarny website, before he was removed from office, he said his relationship with Fedorov was professional and apologised if he had offended anyone.
In response to the public protests, Syrskyi argued that the issues of military procurement, mobilisation and defence contracts were more complicated than those presented in the public debate and that wartime decisions required careful planning rather than political slogans.
The leadership changes are another major shake-up of Ukraine’s wartime government as officials try to balance military effectiveness, public confidence and ongoing reforms amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
