Zelensky sacks Ukraine's top army commander after days of protests

What the report says

Nile Post, carrying a BBC report, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has removed Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces after several days of public demonstrations. According to the report, the decision followed the earlier dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move said to have sparked protests in multiple parts of the country.

The report says Syrskyi, 60, had been credited by Zelensky for his role in defending Kyiv during the opening phase of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, but was also viewed by some critics as resistant to faster military reform. In a farewell message cited by the article, Syrskyi defended his record and said he was leaving behind a force capable of advancing, not only holding defensive lines.

Zelensky named Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, as Syrskyi’s replacement, according to Nile Post. Drapatyi is described in the report as a popular combat-tested general and as a figure associated with a younger, more reform-minded approach. Fedorov, who was reportedly removed as defence minister after less than a year in the role, publicly welcomed Drapatyi’s appointment and framed it as a sign of change.

The leadership shake-up matters because Ukraine remains in a high-stakes war with Russia and faces continuing pressure over mobilisation, weapons supplies, drones and battlefield innovation. Nile Post reports that Zelensky has asked the acting defence minister and Drapatyi to develop a new defence strategy. The article also indicates that the political fallout may not be over, with protesters still seeking a meaningful role for Fedorov in Ukraine’s wartime leadership.