Kyiv – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that he will replace his top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi. The latest shakeup follows six days of demonstrations against released last week of Defense Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov.
Zelenskyy removed Fedorov from his position last Wednesday, citing an irreconcilable conflict between the defense minister and Syryski, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces.
“I wanted unity a lot. The parties did not achieve that. And that is not only their problem, but mine as well. I am not removing my responsibility,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv last week. “And in such a situation, the way out is one way or the other, because without me they don’t sit down together.”
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There was widespread backlash in Ukrainian society over the decision to expel Fedorov. A 35-year-old former tech entrepreneur, Fedorov is popular among young Ukrainians who admire his technological reforms and efforts to eradicate corruption in the Ukrainian military.
Protesters gathered in cities across Ukraine carrying signs calling for Fedorov’s reinstatement and Syrskyi’s dismissal. Ukraine’s pro-government media organization United24 has announced a publishing freeze to take part in the protests, and some senior defense officials, including the deputy commander of the Air Force, have resigned.
Another member of the Ukrainian parliament from Zelenskyy’s party told CBS News that “100% we will not accept” Fedorov’s replacement.
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Zelenskyy quickly acknowledged the protests and suggested that a final decision on the labor movement had not yet been made.
“I understand, I listen, and I even respond. I mean, I respond to some things that I don’t want to explain in detail,” he said in a press conference last Thursday. “But then again, this is a question I’m still thinking about.”
Zelenskyy met with several top Ukrainian commanders over the weekend before announcing on Tuesday that he would nominate Major General Mykhailo Drapatiy to replace Syrskyi as army chief.
Drapatyi, currently in charge of the Joint Forces in Kharkiv Oblast, where the Ukrainian military has seen significant progress in the war against Russian forces, is seen as reform-minded and closer to Fedorov than the other contenders.
“There is an important unified approach, the defense of Ukraine continues, and a dignified attitude to each soldier is necessary,” Zelenskyy said in a Telegram post announcing Drapatiy’s appointment.
“We all have one desire – to defeat the enemy and the success of such situations in the past and the pressure on Russia that would allow us to force Russia to be peaceful.”
