Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and is bringing former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whom he dismissed last week, back into the government.
The two decisions were made following large-scale protests across Ukraine against Fedorov’s dismissal and in favour of Syrskyi’s removal.
Zelenskyy hopes that the sweeping overhaul of the country’s military leadership will appease the protesters, who had set Friday as the deadline for Fedorov’s reinstatement and had threatened to hold “indefinite protests” if their demand was ignored.
Ukraine has recorded 600 attacks on military recruitment officials, linked to citizens’ reluctance to enlist.
The Ukrainian president praised Syrskyi, crediting him with leading the defence of Kyiv and launching a counteroffensive in Russia’s Kursk region in the summer of 2024, during which foreign tanks entered Russian territory for the first time since the Second World War, according to The Guardian.
“We have come a long way. Ukraine’s defence continues. And every soldier deserves to be treated with respect,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he was grateful to Syrskyi and to “each and every one of our soldiers” fighting on the front line.
The conservative Syrskyi will be replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, an ally of Fedorov. Both men support military reform and the use of modern technologies.
Source: Guardian
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