Zelenskyy appoints Mykhailo Drapatyi as new army chief
KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday fired Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities nationwide demanding his removal. Zelenskyy named Mykhailo Drapatyi as Syrskyi’s replacement, according to a statement on social media.
“Our shared wish is one — victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,” Zelenskyy wrote.
The Ukrainian leader said he made the decision after a series of meetings with military commanders that began shortly after the protests broke out. Demonstrators had called for the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whom they viewed as a driver of military modernization, and the removal of Syrskyi, whom they criticized as emblematic of the army’s old, Soviet-style command culture.
Zelenskyy thanked Syrskyi for his achievements in the fight against Russia, citing the defense of Kyiv, and operations in Kharkiv and the Kursk region. “I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine’s strong front-line positions,” he said. “I am grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for holding that same view.”
The president also met separately with Fedorov on Tuesday and offered him what he described as a respected position in government that would unify Ukraine’s technology sector. It was not immediately clear whether Fedorov accepted the offer or whether the leadership changes would satisfy protesters and restore calm to the streets.