Zelensky replaces Ukraine's military chief, names Drapatyi commander-in-chief
President Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces and replaced him with 43-year-old Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, following six days of protests in Kyiv, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi, 60, as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces and named 43-year-old Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace him, according to Reuters, Al Jazeera and Ukrainska Pravda. Drapatyi has led Ukraine's Ground Forces since November 2024, credited by Zelensky with helping thwart a Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region. The shakeup follows six days of protests in Kyiv demanding Syrskyi's removal and the reinstatement of former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whom Zelensky had dismissed. Zelensky offered Fedorov a senior role overseeing defense technology. Source: Reuters, Al Jazeera, Ukrainska Pravda.