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July 21, 2026 / 5:23 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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Kyiv — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Tuesday that he will replace his top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi. The latest shakeup follows six days of protests against last week's ouster of Ukraine's Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov.Zelenskyy removed Fedorov from his post last Wednesday, citing an irresolvable feud between the defense minister and Syryski, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces."I wanted unity very much. The sides did not achieve it. And that isn't just their problem, but mine as well. I do not absolve myself of responsibility," Zelenskyy told journalists in Kyiv last week. "And in such a situation, the way out is either one side or the other, because without me they don't sit down together."There was widespread pushback across Ukrainian society over the decision to fire Fedorov. A 35-year-old former tech entrepreneur, Fedorov is especially popular among younger Ukrainians who admire his ambitious technological reforms and efforts to root out corruption in Ukraine's military.Protesters gathered in cities across Ukraine carrying signs demanding Fedorov be reinstated and Syrskyi dismissed. Ukraine's pro-government media organization United24 announced a pause in publications to take part in the protests, and some senior defense officials, including the deputy commander of the Air Force, resigned.
