(Image from AFP PHOTO / Ukrainian Presidential Press Service) "tags": ["photography", "Ukrainian Presidency", "AFP"]
Ukraine's president has dismissed the Supreme Military Commander after several days of protests sparked by public dissatisfaction over his decision to remove a popular defense minister from office. "tags": ["Ukraine", "military leadership", "protests"]
On Tuesday, 21 Jul 2026 GMT+7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dismissal of 60-year-old General Oleksandr Syrskyi from the post of Supreme Military Commander, just days after he removed 35-year-old Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a highly popular figure, amid conflicts between Fedorov and General Syrskyi. "tags": ["Volodymyr Zelensky", "Oleksandr Syrskyi", "Mykhailo Fedorov", "military politics"]
The removal of Minister Fedorov sparked street protests across multiple cities nationwide, as he was favored by the public for pushing military reforms, introducing technology and data analytics, launching the “Army of Drones” fundraising campaign, and combating corruption. "tags": ["protests", "military reform", "Army of Drones", "anti-corruption"]
The protests threatened to escalate this week, with organizers vowing nationwide demonstrations over the weekend if General Syrskyi was not removed. Syrskyi was seen as a traditional Soviet-style general hesitant to implement decisive military reforms. "tags": ["protests", "military leadership", "Soviet military style"]
It remains unclear whether President Zelensky's decision to dismiss General Syrskyi was directly influenced by these pressures, but he appointed veteran and popular General Mykhailo Drapaty as the new Supreme Military Commander. "tags": ["military appointment", "Mykhailo Drapaty", "leadership change"]
President Zelensky posted a video thanking Syrskyi for past achievements, such as defending Kyiv when Russia first attacked in 2022, and revealed that an appropriate new position has been offered to Fedorov. "tags": ["Volodymyr Zelensky", "Oleksandr Syrskyi", "Mykhailo Fedorov", "military defense"]
Fedorov congratulated General Drapaty, calling the change a “new hope” and thanking Syrskyi for his previous service, while emphasizing that the military must move forward faster and correct past mistakes. "tags": ["Mykhailo Fedorov", "Mykhailo Drapaty", "military reform", "leadership transition"]
Earlier, General Syrskyi published an article clarifying that his relationship with Fedorov was purely professional and that issues around procurement contracts and conscription, for which he was criticized, were more complex than protesters understood. He stated, “Victory in war comes from real work, not grand public performances.” "tags": ["Oleksandr Syrskyi", "military procurement", "conscription", "war efforts"]
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Source: "tags": ["source"]bbc "tags": ["BBC"]