How protests over a popular minister’s firing sparked Ukraine’s sudden military reset - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported from Kyiv that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s firing of Ukraine’s defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, rapidly escalated into a broader shake-up of the military leadership. According to AP, the dismissal prompted several days of public demonstrations, with protesters calling for Fedorov to be restored and directing much of their criticism at then-commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Zelenskyy moved to replace Syrskyi with Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, a commander described by AP as part of a younger cohort of Ukrainian officers whose wartime standing grew after Russia’s 2014 seizure and illegal annexation of Crimea and during the years of conflict that followed. Photos provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office showed Zelenskyy meeting Drapatyi in Kyiv on July 20 and appearing with Drapatyi, Syrskyi and acting Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara on July 22, 2026.

AP framed the personnel changes as an attempt to end nearly a week of political turmoil, though it said it was unclear whether the move would fully settle the unrest. The report said Fedorov had become a prominent wartime reform figure and that his removal followed months of worsening disagreements with Syrskyi.

The reshuffle matters because it signals both a leadership transition and a deeper debate over the direction of Ukraine’s armed forces during the war with Russia. AP reported that Drapatyi’s appointment marked a break from Syrskyi’s Soviet-influenced military background and appeared to ease some concerns about morale, while public support around Fedorov remained a significant political factor.