Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has replaced Kyiv’s military chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, after days of widespread protests against the removal of the country’s popular defense minister, whose ousting revealed an unprecedented public split in the military over its strategy in the war against Russia.
Mykhailo Drapatyi, who is the commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces, will become Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief, Zelensky announced on Tuesday evening.
Meanwhile, Zelensky offered Mykhailo Fedorov, whose removal as defense minister sparked this political storm, a “prominent position in government that would allow him to unify the technical component of our state and ensure its development.”
Aged 35 years old, Fedorov carved out a reputation as pioneering innovative approaches to technology and recruitment but clashed with other members of Ukraine’s defense establishment.
His six-month tenure as defense minister coincided with Ukraine’s recent success on the battlefield and so his removal, amid disagreements with Syrskyi, caused a backlash against the military chief.
