Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the country’s army commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
It comes just days after the removal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov – a move that triggered street protests across the country.
Initial rumours that the end of Fedorov’s tenure was related to a conflict between him and Syrskyi were soon confirmed.
Fedorov, 35, has been widely praised for energising the ministry and transforming the armed forces, as well as leading a drive against corruption. Syrskyi, 60, is seen by many in Ukraine as a Soviet-school commander reluctant to implement radical changes in the army.
He was replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, who is a popular, battle-hardened general.
“I will work responsibly, with full focus, and with respect for the people who are defending our country today,” Drapatyi said on Facebook.
He also thanked Syrskyi “for his consistent work to strengthen the Ukrainian army,” adding: “I grew up in it.”
In a video post on social media late on Tuesday, Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his military campaigns, including his role in successfully defending the capital Kyiv during the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.Zelensky also revealed that earlier in the day, he met Fedorov and offered him a “worthy position in power”, but did not say whether the offer had been accepted.
Fedorov was last week replaced by Yevhenii Khmara, a former top official at Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU).
“All decisions will be formalised tomorrow,” Zelensky added in his post.
Meanwhile, Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi with his new job, describing his appointment as a “new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice”.
He said it was “the voice of change that could not be ignored”.
Fedorov also revealed that he had called Syrskyi to thank him for the defence of the Kyiv region and other “historic battles”.
“But we need to move even faster and write new chapters correcting all previous mistakes,” he added.
