Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is weighing the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine amid pressure from mass protests calling for the resignation of military leadership. According to two people familiar with the matter, Zelenskyy has already begun reviewing candidates to replace Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The sources spoke on background because the issue is not public.
One interlocutor said Zelenskyy is likely to appoint the successor to Oleksandr Syrskyi as the commander of the Joint Forces, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, and that the current commander-in-chief could be dismissed within a few days. Another source noted that a final decision has not yet been made, and the shortlist includes 11 candidates. The president’s assistant, Dmytro Lytvyn, declined to comment but told journalists that Oleksandr Syrskyi is unlikely to be dismissed on Monday.
Position of official agencies and protests
The General Staff of Ukraine posted on Facebook that Oleksandr Syrskyi has not been removed and remains in his post. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed in a post on the social network X that he met with Mykhailo Drapatyi on Monday but did not say he planned to replace the commander-in-chief. This follows a series of discussions between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior generals that began after last week’s protests over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Thousands took to the streets in Kyiv and other major cities to protest the defense minister’s dismissal. Fedorov told reporters that he had urged Oleksandr Syrskyi to resign, accusing him of obstructing military reforms, but Zelenskyy had previously supported the commander-in-chief. The Financial Times had also reported previously on the president’s plans to dismiss the head of the army.
Background of personnel changes
The head of the President’s Office, Kyrylo Budanov, said public opinion on the issue had been heard and urged calm, according to the news site RBK-Ukraine. Budanov did not offer further explanation. Oleksandr Syrskyi was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army at the start of 2024, replacing General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who was dismissed after tensions with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Oleksandr Syrskyi gained recognition in the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 for leading the defense of Kyiv. He also commanded the counteroffensive, which led to the liberation of significant parts of the Kharkiv region by the end of that year.
Source: Bloomberg
