Zelensky replaces Ukraine army chief Syrskyi with Drapatyi

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Ukraine’s top military commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, on July 21, appointing Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The move follows six days of mass protests across Ukraine, triggered by Zelensky’s earlier dismissal of popular, reformist Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on July 15.

The leadership change resolves an immediate political crisis that exposed deep divisions within Ukraine’s defense establishment over the pace and nature of military modernization. Protesters had demanded Syrskyi’s removal and Fedorov’s reinstatement, framing the conflict as a choice between a traditional, hierarchical command structure and a technology-driven, decentralized force. In announcing the decision, Zelensky stated he ultimately had to choose between the two officials due to an unworkable rift.

Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his service, specifically praising his role in the defense of Kyiv in 2022, the Kharkiv counteroffensive that year, and Ukraine’s 2024 operation in Russia’s Kursk region. In a statement on July 22, the outgoing commander said he was handing over an army that had recaptured...