After days of protests, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the army chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, the BBC reports.
Syrsky was dismissed after days of protests following the dismissal of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Initially, there were rumours that Fedorov’s dismissal was due to a disagreement between him and Syrsky, but this was later confirmed.
Fedorov, 35, has been widely praised for restoring power to the ministry and reforming the armed forces, as well as fighting corruption. Syrsky, 60, was widely seen as a Soviet-style commander who was slow to make serious changes to the army’s structure. Syrsky defended his position on the Telegram messaging app, writing that the army, which two years ago was only on the defensive, is now on the offensive. He added that he was handing over to his successor an army that was not only holding its ground but also advancing, and expressed hope that the offensive would continue.
Syrsky has been replaced by 43-year-old Mykhailo Drapatiy. He said on Facebook that he would work responsibly, with full concentration, and respect for the people who defend Ukraine. He also thanked Syrsky for his tireless work in strengthening the Ukrainian army.
Zelensky thanked Syrsky in a video message on the 21st of July for his military campaigns,
including the former commander-in-chief’s role in defending Kyiv in the early days of the war. The Ukrainian president also said he had met with Fedorov and offered him a prestigious position, but did not say whether the offer was accepted.
Fedorov was replaced last week by Yevhenii Khmara, who previously held a high position in the Security Service of Ukraine.
Fedorov congratulated Drapatiy on his new job, describing his appointment as a new hope for the free people’s struggle for freedom and justice. He said he was a voice of change that could not be ignored. Fedorov also revealed that he had called Sirsky to thank him for defending Kyiv and other historic battles. He added, however, that now was the time to move forward more quickly and write new chapters to correct previous mistakes.
Fedorov took office as defense minister in January and has already received praise for using data to analyze and improve performance on the front lines. He has been an active defender of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war, and created the Ukrainian IT army to conduct cyberattacks on Russia. Fedorov also led a successful fundraising campaign, Army of Drones and introduced elements of computer games into warfare, creating a system that allows for successful attacks on Russian forces.
After his dismissal from the post of defense minister, protests erupted for six days in Ukraine,
and Zelensky faced increasing pressure from the public to dismiss Syrsky.
Zelensky apparently bowed to the pressure by appointing Drapatiy to replace Syrsky. The new army commander is also considered a close friend of Fedorov. The former defense minister’s favorable attitude towards the new commander-in-chief is likely to help ease the tensions that arose last week.
The defense ministry is currently headed by Khmara. Zelensky has asked him and Drapatiy to develop a new defense strategy, including reforms in the army, weapons supply systems, and the use of drones.
Syrsky published an opinion piece on the Militarny website on the 21st of July, in which he wrote about Fedorov that he viewed their relationship professionally and apologized if he had offended anyone. He noted that military contracts, procurement and mobilization are serious issues, and they are much more complicated than most people think. Sirsky stressed that decisions on which lives depend are not made with loud slogans, and that victory is based on real work, not on the public drama that swirls around it.
Protesters, meanwhile, continue to demand that Fedorov return to a position with real influence, where he can continue the drive for innovation. If Fedorov gets such a position, Zelensky will have managed to undo the damage, but many will not forgive him for what they see as the wrong initial choice.
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