President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering replacing Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky with Major General Mykhailo Drapaty, the commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Command, Bloomberg reported on July 21, citing two sources familiar with the discussions. One source said Zelensky is likely to appoint Drapaty as Syrsky’s successor, with a decision potentially coming within days. A second source said no final decision has been made and that 11 candidates are being considered.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Zelensky’s aide Dmytro Lytvyn declined to comment. Zelensky confirmed he met with Drapaty on Monday, July 20, but did not mention any plans to replace the army chief. The reported discussions come as Zelensky faces his most serious military leadership crisis since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Thousands of Ukrainians have taken to the streets in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa and other cities following the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on July 15, who had served in the role for only six months but quickly gained public support. Fedorov said after his dismissal that he had pushed for Syrsky’s removal, accusing the commander-in-chief of blocking military reforms. He also claimed Syrsky had issued Zelensky an “ultimatum” demanding the minister’s dismissal. Zelensky had previously acknowledged that relations between Fedorov and Syrsky had deteriorated significantly and that the two officials had stopped communicating directly.