Kyiv — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that he will replace his top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi. The latest shakeup follows six days of protests against last week’s ouster of Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov.
Zelenskyy removed Fedorov from his post last Wednesday, citing an irresolvable feud between the defense minister and Syryski, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.
“I wanted unity very much. The sides did not achieve it. And that isn’t just their problem, but mine as well. I do not absolve myself of responsibility,” Zelenskyy told journalists in Kyiv last week. “And in such a situation, the way out is either one side or the other, because without me they don’t sit down together.”
There was widespread pushback across Ukrainian society over the decision to fire Fedorov. A 35-year-old former tech entrepreneur, Fedorov is especially popular among younger Ukrainians who admire his ambitious technological reforms and efforts to root out corruption in Ukraine’s military.
Protesters gathered in cities across Ukraine carrying signs demanding Fedorov be reinstated and Syrskyi dismissed. Ukraine’s pro-government media organization United24 announced a pause in publications to take part in the protests, and some senior defense officials, including the deputy commander of the Air Force, resigned.
One Ukrainian member of parliament in Zelenskyy’s own party told CBS News “100% we will not accept” Fedorov’s replacement.
Zelenskyy quickly acknowledged the protests and suggested that a final decision on the personnel shakeup had not yet been made.
“I understand, I listen, and I even respond. I mean, I respond to some things where I wouldn’t want to go into too much detail,” he said at a press conference last Thursday. “But again, this is a question I am still considering.”
Zelenskyy met with several of Ukraine’s top commanders over the weekend before announcing on Tuesday that he would appoint Major General Mykhailo Drapatiy to replace Syrskyi as commander in chief of the armed forces.
Drapatyi, who currently commands the Joint Forces in Kharkiv Oblast, where Ukraine’s military has seen considerable battlefield progress against Russian forces, is seen as more reform-minded and close to Fedorov than other contenders.
“A significant path has been covered, the defense of Ukraine continues, and a dignified attitude to each soldier is necessary,” Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post announcing Drapatiy’s appointment.
“We all have one desire — victory over the enemy and the achievement of such conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would allow us to force Russia to peace.”
