Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed his Soviet-trained army chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, on Tuesday amid a political crisis triggered by the ousting of a popular, reform-minded defense minister.
Zelensky announced that Mykhailo Drapaty, previously the joint forces commander, would replace Syrsky.
Syrsky, 60, had served as commander-in-chief since 2024 and was regarded as one of Kyiv’s most experienced military leaders, notably overseeing the defense of the capital at the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. His dismissal followed days of protests in support of former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who claimed Syrsky had forced him out and blocked military reforms.
“I have decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mykhailo Drapaty,” Zelensky announced on Telegram, expressing gratitude to Syrsky and Ukraine’s soldiers for maintaining strong frontline positions.
Speculation about Syrsky’s future intensified last week after Zelensky removed Fedorov, a 35-year-old technocrat who had sought to modernize the military, just six months into his tenure. Fedorov accused Syrsky of obstructing reforms and pressuring Zelensky to dismiss him—allegations Syrsky denied. The dispute exposed rare fractures within Ukraine’s military and political leadership, even as Kyiv’s forces slowed Russian advances and targeted Russian infrastructure with long-range strikes.
Drapaty, Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief, is a decorated major general and former commander of the ground forces, with a reputation forged during the Donbas war against Moscow-backed separatists. He is well known for a video showing him ramming an armored vehicle through a separatist checkpoint in Mariupol in 2014. Following his appointment, the 43-year-old posted on Facebook: “Serving Ukraine has always been an honor for me, and during the war for independence it means absolute responsibility. Glory to the nation. Death to the enemies.”
Fedorov welcomed Drapaty’s promotion, calling it “new hope” in Ukraine’s ongoing fight for freedom and justice. His own removal last Wednesday had sparked widespread protests across the country, with demonstrators demanding military reforms and Syrsky’s resignation.
While Syrsky was seen as less of a political rival to Zelensky than his predecessor, Valery Zaluzhny, critics accused him of indifference to troop losses and resistance to procurement and mobilization reforms. Drapaty now becomes Ukraine’s third commander-in-chief since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Meanwhile, both Russia and Ukraine have escalated aerial attacks in recent months, and the United Nations has reported a sharp rise in civilian casualties across Ukraine.
