Zelensky dismisses Syrsky as commander-in-chief; Drapatyi to lead military
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 21 dismissed Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief and appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of the Joint Forces, as his successor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces on July 21. He will be replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, who previously commanded Ukraine's Joint Forces. In his statement, Zelensky did not provide a formal reason for the dismissal but praised Syrsky's achievements, including the defense of Kyiv, the Kharkiv counteroffensive, and the Kursk operation. Syrsky had held the post since February 2024, when he succeeded Valery Zaluzhny.
The change comes after Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed on July 15. Fedorov had served since January 2026. Reports indicated a conflict between Fedorov and Syrsky. Fedorov's dismissal sparked protests in several Ukrainian cities. On July 18, a Meduza source close to the presidential office said Zelensky was seriously considering removing Syrsky if the protests continued. On July 20, Bloomberg reported that Zelensky had begun reviewing 11 candidates to replace the commander-in-chief.
On July 21, shortly before the announcement of Syrsky's dismissal, Zelensky met with Fedorov. The outcome of that meeting was not disclosed. The Financial Times had previously reported that Zelensky was trying to bring Fedorov back into the government. Currently, Yevhen Khmara, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, is serving as acting defense minister.
