Zelensky reshuffles Ukraine’s military leadership after last week’s political crisis

Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on Tuesday. The decision by the president of Ukraine came just one week after he dismissed the then-defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, whom many protesters considered one of the main drivers of the Armed Forces' modernization.

Zelensky confirmed the decision in a statement released on Telegram, announcing that the new commander-in-chief will be Mykhailo Drapatyi. "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. (...) I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine's strong front-line positions," the president wrote.

The Ukrainian leader stated that the decision was the result of a series of meetings with military leadership. Those meetings began shortly after the protests began, during which thousands of people demanded the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Fedorov, whom they considered a key figure in the modernization of the Armed Forces. The protesters also demanded the resignation of Syrskyi, whom they associated with a leadership model inherited from the Soviet era.

"We will jointly determine an updated strategy of our defense [and] steps to continue the reform of the corps system, to fulfill the supply requests of combat commanders," he added.

Syrskyi had assumed the position of commander-in-chief in February 2024, after replacing Valerii Zaluzhnyi. During his tenure, he led Ukrainian military operations amid mounting Russian pressure, although his leadership was criticized by some soldiers, analysts, and leaders, who questioned the high human cost of certain operations and his command style.

As for Drapatyi, he has participated in combat against Russia since 2014 and led units during the defense of the Kharkiv region.