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Syrskyi replaced after protests
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces and named Mykhailo Drapatyi as his replacement after days of mass protests in Kyiv, the country's capital, and other cities nationwide demanding Syrskyi's removal.
“Zelenskyy fired Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces”
Zelenskyy said he made the decision after a series of meetings with military commanders, and he framed the change around “victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,” as he told reporters.
The reshuffle followed Zelenskyy's earlier decision to overhauled his wartime government, replacing his prime minister and firing Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister after just six months in the post.
CBC reported that the protests were also tied to demands for the reinstatement of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whom demonstrators saw as a driver of military modernization, and for the removal of Syrskyi, whom they said embodied the army's old, Soviet-style command culture.
In a Facebook post, Drapatyi wrote that serving Ukraine “has always been an honour for me, and during this war for independence, it means absolute responsibility,” and he said he would work with “focus and with respect for the people defending our state today.”
Fedorov demand and reactions
The Guardian reported that Zelenskyy faced growing pressure to reinstate his sacked defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, after campaigners said they would continue indefinite nationwide protests until Fedorov got his job back.
Protesters also called for a rally outside Zelenskyy’s presidential office in Ivana Franka Square, Kyiv, and veteran Dmytro Koziatynsky wrote on social media that “We should not forget about the second demand of the protest – to return Mykhailo Fedorov to the position of minister of defence.”
The Guardian said Fedorov had reportedly turned down a post of deputy prime minister for technological development, and instead wanted to be reinstated as defence minister as the only way to implement his plan for modernising and reforming Ukraine’s army.
In Kyiv, around 500 people assembled on July 22 to demand Fedorov’s reinstatement, while smaller rallies took place in Kropyvnytskyi, Mykolaiv, Uzhhorod, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Dnipro, according to Suspilne News.
United24 Media quoted one protest participant, Svitlana, saying, “I will fight for what we came out here for. All our other demands were added in the process, but the first push was the removal of Fedorov and his return.”
Strategy, offensives, and risks
After Zelenskyy appointed Drapatyi, the Guardian said Drapatyi wrote on Facebook that he had been given instructions to “intensify offensive operations in all domains,” and he listed tasks including planning operations behind enemy lines, developing new technologies, and building up the military’s capabilities.
“intensify offensive operations in all domains”
The Guardian also described how Drapatyi’s appointment was met with widespread approval, with Petro Poroshenko saying, “I know him as a strategically minded, brave, and decisive man. He cherishes people.”
At the same time, the Guardian quoted a senior army source warning that Zelenskyy faced a dilemma: “If he reverses his decision, this would be a big victory for Fedorov,” but “if he doesn’t, the protests will keep going,” as the political crisis risked rolling into a second week.
DW reported that Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that he was removing Syrskyi, and he said, “I have decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mykhailo Drapatyi,” while also saying he was grateful to Syrskyi for Ukraine's strong front-line positions.
NBC News added that Zelenskyy tried to present a unified front in his Telegram message, writing, “The desire in all of us is one — victory over the enemy and achieving such conditions on the front and in pressure on Russia, which would allow forcing Russia to peace,” even as Ukrainians feared the removal of Fedorov could wipe out recent gains.
