Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky removed Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi and on Tuesday installed Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi as commander-in-chief after days of mass protests demanding the return of ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
- Drapatyi has been ordered to step up counteroffensive actions, plan operations behind Russian lines and push military-technology development, and he named Major General Ihor Skybiuk to lead a reconfigured General Staff.
- Zelensky offered Fedorov a senior role to oversee the state’s technological development but it is unclear whether Fedorov has accepted and protesters remain unconvinced that the reshuffle ends street unrest.
- Critics of Syrskyi had accused him of a top-down, Soviet-style command that accepted high troop losses, while reformers credited recent battlefield gains to drone and tech-driven tactics promoted by Fedorov and his allies.
- Analysts and officials warn the shake-up could briefly disrupt procurement, mobilization and air-defence continuity, and Western partners are watching closely for signs the changes sustain battlefield momentum and troop morale.