Ukrainian President Dismisses Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the dismissal of Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, amid a deepening political crisis sparked by the sidelining of the widely popular Defense Minister more than two weeks ago.

Zelenskyy announced the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces, as Syrsky’s successor.

Syrsky, 60, has served as army commander since 2024 and is one of Kyiv’s most experienced military leaders, having commanded defense operations in the capital at the outset of the war in 2022.

Syrsky’s dismissal comes days after protests in support of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who accused Syrsky of forcing him out of office and obstructing his efforts to reform the military establishment.

Zelenskyy stated on Telegram, “I have decided that Mykhailo Drapatyi will be the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

He added, “I express my gratitude to Oleksandr Syrsky and to all our fighters for the resilience of our strong positions on the front line.”