Zelenskyy replaces army chief after protests over defense reshuffle

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi with Mykhailo Drapatyi after almost a week of protests over a wartime government reshuffle. The personnel changes come as Kyiv seeks to keep military operations and its long-range strike program on course during Russia’s full-scale war.

In a late-night televised address Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Drapatyi would take command of Ukraine’s armed forces. He thanked Syrskyi for what he described as a key role in the defense of Kyiv early in the war.

“The operations of Ukraine’s Defense Forces are ongoing and must continue without disruption. Ukraine’s long-range sanctions plan and our mid-strike program will be carried out with absolute precision,” Zelenskyy said, according to a translation of his remarks.

The commander-in-chief post sits at the center of Ukraine’s military chain of command, directing the armed forces as the country sustains defensive operations and strikes beyond the front line. Zelenskyy’s decision therefore changes the senior military leadership at a sensitive point in the conflict, while signaling that the presidency wants continuity in current operations.

Drapatyi thanked Zelenskyy and acknowledged Syrskyi in a Facebook post, saying the outgoing commander had worked to strengthen the armed forces. “I will work responsibly, focused, and with respect for the people who defend our state today,” Drapatyi wrote.

The shake-up followed the dismissal last week of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that triggered protests in several Ukrainian cities. Demonstrations reached a fifth consecutive day on Monday, with participants carrying flags and placards and calling on Zelenskyy to restore Fedorov to office and remove Syrskyi.

Fedorov has been viewed as a prominent supporter of Ukraine’s drone warfare effort. Zelenskyy said he had met the former defense minister and offered him a “worthy leadership position that would allow him to bring together our country’s technological capabilities and ensure their continued development.”

Fedorov responded to Drapatyi’s appointment on X, congratulating the new commander-in-chief. “This is a breath of fresh air and a new source of hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice. It is the voice of change that could no longer be ignored,” he said.

Ukraine has expanded drone production and capabilities over more than four years of war, according to the report. Kyiv has intensified attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and military assets, including oil refineries in major cities, as part of an effort to raise the economic cost of the war for Russia and weaken Russian forces in southern Ukraine.

Defense experts and strategists have described Ukraine’s drone campaign as pivotal in slowing Russia’s military momentum, while warning that successful deep strikes have also increased the risk of escalation. Zelenskyy’s leadership changes now place Drapatyi, and potentially Fedorov in a new role, at the center of that strategy.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.