On July 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree dismissing Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). Syrskyi will be replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of the Joint Forces of the AFU.The decision comes a week after Zelensky dismissed popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, leading to the most serious public conflict between the country’s military command and its Ministry of Defense since the start of Russia’s full-scale war.BackgroundIn a July 17 press briefing held immediately after his departure, Fedorov publicly stated that in early 2026 he had recommended to the president that Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov be dismissed. Fedorov cited systemic problems in army management: bureaucracy, resistance to reform, manual distribution of weapons, frequent rotation of commanders, and decision-making “based on loyalty rather than data analysis.”Fedorov claimed that after Zelensky refused to change the military leadership. The now-former Defense Minister agreed to work with Syrskyi at the time but now says almost all of his proposed reforms were blocked by the General Staff.One notable episode in the dispute involved the scandal surrounding the Skelia 425th Separate Assault Regiment. Following publication of an investigation into alleged torture of recruits, mistreatment of soldiers, and dozens of non-combat deaths in the unit, the State Bureau of Investigations opened a criminal case, and the regiment’s commander was suspended. According to Fedorov, however, instead of investigating possible crimes within the military leadership, Syrskyi’s efforts focused on identifying who was responsible for the publications — and Fedorov himself was accused of orchestrating an information campaign against the regiment.Incoming commander-in-chief Drapatyi publicly backed Fedorov’s statements, confirming that many decisions by the Ministry of Defense faced resistance from the army. He stated that the “system” of management in the military itself needed to change.Syrskyi himself barely responded to the accusations, while Zelensky acknowledged a systemic conflict between the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff. Fedorov’s dismissal triggered protests in Kyiv and other cities and was criticized by many military personnel, public figures, and journalists.