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Zelensky reshuffles commanders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new head of the armed forces, in a reshuffle tied to protests over the earlier removal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
“Les divergences avec les hauts responsables militaires et la lutte contre la corruption dans les achats d'armement ont entraîné la destitution du ministre de la Défense le plus populaire, déclenchant des manifestations dans tout le pays L'Ukraine est confrontée à sa plus grande crise politiquedepuis le début de l'invasion russe”
NPR reported that Zelenskyy named Drapatyi to replace Syrskyi after firing him late Tuesday, and that Drapatyi wrote, "There is a difficult task ahead, so we are not making loud promises," after his appointment.
France 24 said the sacking of the military's commander in chief came after days of street protests over last week's removal of the defence minister, and asked whether the change would be enough to placate demonstrators.
CBS News reported that Zelenskyy announced Tuesday he would replace his top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, after the latest shake-up followed six days of protests against Ukraine's Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov.
NBC News said Zelenskyy announced on Telegram that Mykhailo Drapatyi will replace Syrskyi, after the removal of Fedorov sparked the fiercest leadership crisis of his presidency.
Protests, blame, and replies
Protests erupted across Ukraine after Zelenskyy removed Fedorov, with CBS News saying protesters gathered in cities carrying signs demanding Fedorov be reinstated and Syrskyi dismissed.
CBS News also quoted a member of parliament in Zelenskyy's own party saying, "100% we will not accept" Fedorov's replacement, as the shake-up faced pushback across Ukrainian society.
NBC News described how Fedorov publicly aired disagreements with Syrskyi, known as "The Butcher," over military strategy, and said Zelenskyy tried to present a unified front in his Telegram message.
In that Telegram message, NBC News quoted Zelenskyy 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," as he sought to address the street anger.
CNN reported that Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he didn’t think Kyiv’s restructuring would “lead to any changes on the front lines,” and told reporters Wednesday it was “clear that the Kyiv regime is shaking, this is obvious.”
What’s at stake next
The shake-up was framed as a response to a rift over how Ukraine should fight, with NPR describing Drapatyi as taking the reins during political and military transition and noting he is widely viewed as a reformer.
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the country’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, after days of widespread protests against the removal of the country’s popular defense minister”
NPR said Drapatyi helped develop the use of the "drone line," creating a "kill zone" near the front line filled with drones that attack and surveil, as he takes over from Syrskyi, who was described as a mastermind of traditional warfare.
In the same NPR account, Rob Lee said, "It's kind of become this narrative of pro-drone versus anti-drone, but I don't think that's completely fair here," describing a disagreement over how fast reforms should move.
NBC News said Zelenskyy spent the weekend speaking to other top military commanders to potentially replace Syrskyi, and that it was unclear whether Fedorov will remain in the government and, if so, in what capacity.
CNN reported that Zelenskyy offered Fedorov a “prominent position in government that would allow him to unify the technical component of our state and ensure its development,” but said it was not clear if the offer had been accepted, leaving the political and military direction still contested.
