Zelenskyy removes army chief as Ukraine’s defense feud boils over
Ukraine’s president named Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace Oleksandr Syrskyi after protests over the ouster of Mykhailo Fedorov.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, after a bruising public split inside Kyiv’s wartime leadership and street protests over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, NBC News reported.
Zelenskyy said Tuesday in a Telegram post that Mykhailo Drapatyi would take over from Syrskyi at the top of Ukraine’s armed forces, according to NBC News.
The shake-up follows Zelenskyy’s decision last week to fire Fedorov, a close ally whose exit triggered rare demonstrations in Kyiv during the war. Protesters called for Fedorov to return and for Syrskyi to be removed instead, NBC News reported.
Syrskyi, 60, had led Ukraine’s armed forces and was described by NBC News as a more conventional military commander with an emphasis on infantry and artillery. Fedorov, 35, was portrayed as a tech-focused reformer whose work on drones has been linked to Ukraine’s recent ability to strike targets in Russia.
A split at the top
Zelenskyy previously said he had effectively faced a choice between Fedorov and Syrskyi because the two men were no longer speaking to each other, NBC News reported. He did not give a reason for dismissing Fedorov.
Fedorov confirmed the dispute, saying Syrskyi would not directly discuss what he called “problems” and had resisted changes to Ukraine’s defense system, according to NBC News.
At a news conference, Fedorov credited Syrskyi with early battlefield successes but argued that the character of the war had shifted because of drone technology. He warned that Ukraine risked moving away from a successful path, NBC News reported.
In a Saturday post on X, Fedorov wrote: “Change is inevitable. The dialogue is happening. I believe we will succeed.”
NBC News reported that Zelenskyy spent the weekend speaking with other senior commanders in what appeared to be a search for a possible replacement for Syrskyi. It remains unclear whether Fedorov will stay in government, and in what role.
No response from Syrskyi to his removal was reported by NBC News. The outlet said he is known by the nickname “The Butcher.”
Drones, protests and pressure
Ukraine’s use of inexpensive drones has become a central part of its war effort, allowing Kyiv to hit targets deep inside Russia as well as Russian-held sites in Ukrainian territory, NBC News reported.
Fedorov’s supporters feared his removal could endanger those advances, according to NBC News. A senior air force commander also resigned in protest.
The political turmoil comes as Russian forces continue to make slow gains in eastern Ukraine, while dwindling supplies of missile interceptors have left Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities exposed to heavy bombardment, NBC News reported.
Zelenskyy’s replacement of Syrskyi marks one of the most significant leadership changes of his presidency during the war, following a confrontation that spilled from government offices into the streets of the capital.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.