Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi from the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the appointment of Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi to this position.

“I have decided that Mykhailo Drapatyi will become the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the head of state said on his Telegram channel. Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for the results achieved during the Kharkiv and Kursk operations, as well as for the defense of Kyiv, noting that “a significant path has been traveled” and that the defense of Ukraine continues.

The president also said that he had already discussed with Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov the future formats of service and the transfer of responsibilities. “All of us have one desire — victory over the enemy and achieving such conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would make it possible to force Russia into peace,” Zelensky emphasized.

He added that all decisions would be formalized on July 22 and expressed confidence that Ukraine should emerge from this situation stronger, while it would become “more difficult” for Russia.

Syrskyi’s dismissal was preceded by the biggest crisis in military leadership during Zelensky’s presidency, triggered by the resignation of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Fedorov had been in office for only six months, but had managed to gain popularity among citizens. As a result, his dismissal provoked mass protests in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and other cities.

Fedorov himself said at a briefing that he had sought Syrskyi’s resignation, accusing him of blocking military reforms, and claimed that Syrskyi had earlier issued the president an ultimatum demanding his dismissal. Zelensky, for his part, acknowledged that relations between Fedorov and Syrskyi had seriously deteriorated and that they had stopped communicating directly.

After Syrskyi’s dismissal, Fedorov said that he had personally called him and thanked him for his work. “I thanked him for the defense of Kyiv Oblast, the Kharkiv operation, and other historic battles. This is already an important part of Ukraine’s history. But we need to move even faster and write new chapters, correcting all previous mistakes,” the former defense minister wrote on his Telegram channel.