The Ukrainian president named Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi to succeed him
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday sacked his Soviet-trained army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi following a political crisis triggered by the removal of a popular, young and tech-savvy defence minister.
The Ukrainian leader announced he was appointing joint forces commander Mykhailo Drapatyi in his place.
Syrskyi, 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 2022.
His removal came after days of protests in support of ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who accused Syrskyi of forcing him out and stalling his attempt to reform the military.
