Oleksandr Syrsky had led Ukraine’s armed forces since 2024 and played a key role in the defence against Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he was dismissing Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s army, amid an ongoing political crisis triggered by the removal of a popular defence minister. The Ukrainian leader announced he was appointing joint forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty in his place.
Syrsky, 60, had served in the role since 2024 and was among Kyiv’s most experienced commanders, having led the defence of Kyiv at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in... President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that Major General Mykhailo Drapaty will take over as Ukraine's commander-in-chief after firing Soviet-trained top commander Oleksandr Syrsky. "This is a victory for the protestors who took to the streets a week ago, when Zelensky fired Fedorov," says FRANCE 24 correspondent Gulliver Cragg.
"Their main demand was that Syrsky be fired." He added that "Drapaty was the one Fedorov wanted to see in that position to replace Syrsky". President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday fired Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities nationwide demanding his removal.
Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media. Mass protests in recent days in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities had called for the removal of commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named Mykhailo Drapatyi as the army's new chief.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday dismissed Ukraine's military head Oleksandr Syrsky following days of public pressure and named Major General Mykhailo Drapaty, an ally of ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, as the new commander-in-chief.
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