Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that he removed Commander-in-Chief Alexander Syrskyi and named Land Forces commander Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new head of the Armed Forces.
- Evhen Khmara, head of the Security Service, remains the acting defense minister after Mykhailo Fedorov’s earlier dismissal.
- Zelensky has offered former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov a government post described as vice‑prime minister for military innovations to coordinate tech work with the MoD, the new commander and the General Staff.
- Mass protests in multiple Ukrainian cities that demanded Fedorov’s return and Syrskyi’s removal helped create public pressure for the personnel changes.
- The presidency says formal paperwork and an updated General Staff configuration would follow these decisions, a shift that could speed adoption of drones and other tech and reshape how Ukraine buys and fields weapons.