Ukraine Replaces Army Commander Syrskyi With Drapatyi as Military Leadership Shifts

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi, 60, as army commander-in-chief, according to BBC News reporting. The removal came days after Zelensky fired Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, whose removal triggered six days of widespread street protests across Ukraine.

Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, replaced Syrskyi as army commander. Drapatyi is described as a popular, battle-hardened general and is thought to be a close friend of Fedorov's. Yevhenii Khmara, a former top official at Ukraine's Security Service, replaced Fedorov as defence minister.

Fedorov, appointed defence minister in January 2026, was widely praised for transforming the armed forces and leading a drive against corruption. He came to the role as a former Minister of Digital Transformation who had set up the volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine" to launch cyber-attacks against Russia from the early days of the full-scale invasion. As defence minister, he led a successful fundraising campaign called the Army of Drones and designed a "gamification" system that awarded military units with credits for hitting Russian assets. From the early days of the full-scale invasion, Fedorov was active using data to analyze and try to improve performance on the front line.

Initial rumors that Fedorov's removal was related to conflict between him and Syrskyi were confirmed. Syrskyi is seen by many in Ukraine as a Soviet-school commander reluctant to implement radical changes in the army. In his Monday op-ed for the Militarny website, Syrskyi wrote of his relationship with Fedorov: "I perceived our relationship as a working one. If I offended anyone, Mykhailo Albertovych [Fedorov], I'm sorry." He also argued that decisions on military contracts, procurement, and mobilization are "a great deal more complicated than most people realised," writing, "Real work, not the public drama surrounding it, wins the war."

Syrskyi was praised by Zelensky for successfully defending Kyiv in 2022. In his farewell address on Telegram, Syrskyi wrote: "An army that was fighting a difficult defensive campaign two years ago is now on the offensive" and "I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the line but is advancing."

Drapatyi thanked Syrskyi "for his consistent work to strengthen the Ukrainian army," saying "I grew up in it." He posted on Facebook: "I will work responsibly, with full focus, and with respect for the people who are defending our country today."

Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi on his new job, describing the appointment as a "new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice" and "the voice of change that could not be ignored." Fedorov also called Syrskyi to thank him for the defense of the Kyiv region and other "historic battles," but added, "we need to move even faster and write new chapters correcting all previous mistakes."

Zelensky met with Fedorov and offered him a "worthy position in power" but did not say whether the offer had been accepted. Acting Defence Minister Khmara remains in position; Zelensky has asked him and Drapatyi to come up with a new defence strategy covering military corps reform, weapons supply, and drones.