Zelensky sacks army chief after days of protests
This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on Oct. 4, 2024, shows Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky visiting the 82nd Air Assault Brigade at an undisclosed location in the Sumy region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 22 sacked his Soviet-trained army chief Oleksandr Syrsky following a political crisis triggered by the removal of a popular, young and tech-savvy defense minister.
The Ukrainian leader announced he was appointing joint forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty in his place.
Syrsky, 60, had served in the role since 2024 and was among Kiev's most experienced commanders, having led the defense of Kiev at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
