General Aleksandr Syrsky has been fired following nationwide protests calling for his dismissal
Published 21 Jul, 2026 19:46
| Updated 21 Jul, 2026 20:19
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has announced the dismissal of commander-in-chief Gen. Aleksandr Syrsky, following days of mounting political turmoil sparked by the firing of Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, which the Ukrainian leader had blamed on a conflict between the two men.
According to Zelensky, Joint Forces Commander Gen. Mikhail Drapaty will replace Syrsky as commander-in-chief.
“I decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mikhail Drapaty,” Zelensky said on Telegram on Tuesday, announcing Skyrsky’s replacement.
The Ukrainian leader said he met Syrsky on Tuesday to discuss the transition.
“Tomorrow, we will formalize all the decisions,” Zelensky stated on Telegram.
He thanked Syrsky for his role in the “defense of Kiev,” the 2022 Kharkov offensive, and the “Kursk Operation” – Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region, which ultimately ended in defeat and inflicted heavy losses on Ukrainian forces.
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