Ukraine’s Zelensky fires military chief after protests and names a replacement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fires Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities nationwide demanding his removal.

Zelenskyy appoints Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media. “Our shared wish is one — victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,” Zelenskyy says.

The Ukrainian leader says he made the decision after a series of meetings with military commanders. They began shortly after protests broke out demanding the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, seen by demonstrators as a driver of military modernization, and the removal of Syrskyi, who they said embodied the army’s old, Soviet-style command culture.

Zelenskyy thanks Syrskyi for his achievements in Ukraine’s fight against Russia and praises him for the defense of Kyiv and for operations in Kharkiv and Kursk.

“I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine’s strong front-line positions,” he says. “I am grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for holding that same view.”

Zelenskyy separately meets with Fedorov and offers him what he calls a respected position in government that would unify the country’s technology sector. But it isn’t clear if Fedorov accepted the offer and whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters and bring peace to the streets.