Zelensky Reshuffles Military Leadership After Defence Minister's Dismissal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has carried out a major reshuffle of his defence leadership, dismissing the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi as his replacement.
The decision came shortly after Zelensky drew criticism for dismissing Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a figure widely known for driving technological innovation and reform of the recruitment system in the defence sector.
Fedorov was reported to have clashed with several defence officials, including Syrskyi, before ultimately being removed from his post. As Syrskyi’s replacement, Zelensky appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi, a younger general seen as representing a new generation of Ukrainian military leaders who forged their careers during the war against Russia.
Syrskyi, now 60 years old, is a graduate of a Moscow military academy and was once educated alongside a number of officers who later became Russian military commanders.
For years, he was regarded as an experienced commander. However, a number of observers considered his leadership style insufficiently innovative. He also came in for criticism for holding the city of Bakhmut for an extended period, at the cost of heavy Ukrainian casualties.
Drapatyi, meanwhile, first became widely known when a video from 2014 showed him driving an armoured infantry fighting vehicle through a barricade erected by separatist groups in Mariupol.
The general was born in western Ukraine and received his military education in Kharkiv, a city that Ukrainian forces successfully recaptured in 2022 after it was occupied by Russia in the initial phase of the invasion.
In the official announcement of the change, Zelensky expressed his appreciation to Syrskyi for his service leading the Ukrainian armed forces. “We share the same desire — victory over the enemy,” Zelensky said.
Syrskyi himself had led military operations against Russia and pro-Moscow separatist groups since 2014, when armed conflict broke out in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in 2024, Syrskyi described his devotion to the battlefield. “I have been in this war since 2014. The front line is my life,” he said.
Following his official appointment as commander-in-chief, Drapatyi said he was ready to take on the role with full responsibility. He pledged to lead the Ukrainian armed forces professionally and to continue honouring all personnel serving on the front line. “Responsibly, with focus, and with respect,” he said of his commitment to his new duties.
Drapatyi also paid tribute to Syrskyi for his contribution to strengthening Ukraine’s military capability during his tenure as commander. “I grew up in the ranks of the military,” he said.
Meanwhile, after dismissing Mykhailo Fedorov as Defence Minister, Zelensky is reported to have offered him a new strategic government post aimed at coordinating the development of national technology and innovation. It remains unclear whether Fedorov has accepted the offer.