Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering dismissing Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi. This was reported by the Financial Times, citing a senior source in the Ukrainian administration.
According to the newspaper’s source, Zelensky plans to gather military commanders over the weekend to hear their assessments of the frontline situation and to meet potential candidates for the post of army commander.
The source said the president is prepared to remove Syrskyi if he finds a military leader capable of ensuring a “smooth transition” in command without undermining Ukraine’s defense along the front line.
The newspaper says Zelensky began considering such a move after mass protests in Ukrainian cities triggered by the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of defense minister.
“One of the problems is that Syrskyi has no understanding of how he is going to win. Syrskyi’s theory of victory comes down to holding out as long as possible and mobilizing more people,” a senior Ukrainian Defense Ministry official told the Financial Times.
On July 12, Zelensky announced the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, which automatically meant the resignation of the entire government. On July 14, the Verkhovna Rada approved the cabinet’s resignation. The following day, it became known that Fedorov would not be reappointed as defense minister and would not join the new government.
The decision to remove Fedorov sparked protests in multiple cities across the country. On July 17, according to Interfax-Ukraine, 10,000 people took part in a rally in Kyiv. The former defense minister himself told reporters that Syrskyi had insisted on his dismissal and said that the commander-in-chief, rather than he, should be removed.