Zelensky dismisses General Syrsky and appoints Mykhailo Drapatyi as new Commander-in-Chief

Background to the protests

The Ukrainian president has yielded to the pressure from the population and dismissed Syrsky. Zelensky had already previously taken personnel consequences in the defense portfolio: Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov had already stepped down a few days earlier under pressure from Zelensky, as the reports indicate.

In the subsequent demonstrations, people in the streets also demanded, according to the account of dpa-AFX, a return of former Defense Minister Fedorov. Fedorov had been described as the popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whose image in the population apparently persisted even after his departure.

With the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander-in-Chief, Zelensky immediately sends a new signal at the top of the armed forces following Syrsky's dismissal. Drapatyi takes over the succession in a phase in which the military situation toward Russia continues to be regarded as tense and at the same time the domestic political mood in Ukraine is additionally strained by the protests.

Change announced via Telegram

As the news agency further reported, Zelensky announced today on Telegram. Both Syrsky's dismissal and Drapatyi's appointment were accordingly disseminated via the official Telegram channel of the president; 22:06 was named as the time of publication of the original report.

The protests had accordingly formed in several cities, although the exact number of cities involved and the scale of the demonstrations were not evident from the available reports. Nor were any more precise figures initially available on the extent of the participation of younger people, who according to dpa-AFX were the driving force behind the protests.

Preceding resignation of the Defense Minister

From the available information, it also emerges that Zelensky had already exerted personnel pressure on the Defense Minister prior to the protests. Fedorov's resignation occurred following pressure from Zelensky, which can be interpreted as an indication of a longer-term reshuffle in the security apparatus.

Syrsky had been one of the best-known commanders in the conflict with Russia in recent years as the senior military leader of Ukraine. His dismissal thus marks one of the rare changes at the military top of the country since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Demonstrators also demand Fedorov's return

The demonstrators' demand encompassed two interrelated points: the replacement of army chief Oleksandr Syrsky and the return of former Defense Minister Fedorov. The protests thereby combined criticism of the military leadership with a desire for personnel continuity in the civilian defense portfolio.

The news agency dpa-AFX, which published the report late in the evening at 22:06, relied in part on communications from the Ukrainian Presidential Office. An official statement from Syrsky on his dismissal was not initially available.

With Drapatyi's appointment, Zelensky is banking on a new military leadership in the ongoing conflict. The available reports contained no detailed information on his previous career, operational experience, or public profile in Ukraine.

New Commander-in-Chief Drapatyi

The personnel decision falls in a phase of intense domestic political discussions about the leadership of the defense apparatus. While some regard the dismissal as a long-overdue response to the protests, it is likely to be interpreted by others as a signal of political influence over the military.

With regard to the further course, it is above all a matter of waiting to see what reaction follows from the military establishment and whether the protest movement considers its primary concern fulfilled with Syrsky's dismissal and Drapatyi's appointment. It also remains open to what extent the desire for Fedorov's return will be addressed.

Significance in the ongoing war against Russia

It is certain that the change at the top of the armed forces in wartime represents a politically highly sensitive decision. It is not least a signal to one's own population, to international partners, and to one's own troops at the same time.

Coverage of the events on the evening of 21 July 2026 focused primarily on Zelensky's announcement via Telegram and on reactions in Ukrainian social media. A first broader assessment of the decision by Western capital-based media remained to be seen at the time of the report.