Zelenskyy replaces Ukraine military chief after protests

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shakes hands with new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Mykhailo Drapatyi during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, July 20, 2026 [Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP]By Al Jazeera Staff and APPublished On 21 Jul 202621 Jul 2026Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired Oleksandr Syrskyi as the country’s commander-in-chief, appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead the military. The move came after six days of protests in the capital, Kyiv, sparked by the removal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov – who had previously clashed with Syrskyi.Zelenskyy said Tuesday’s decision was made to “reset” the ongoing war effort against Russia.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US judge blocks Trump bid to strip work permits from immigrantslist 2 of 3Steep rise in civilian casualties in Russia-Ukraine war, UN sayslist 3 of 3Can AI systems make moral decisions in war?end of list“I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine’s strong front-line positions,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media. “I am grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for holding that same view.”“Our shared wish is one – victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,” he added. He emphasised the need to address friction within the military leadership and resolve persistent issues concerning mobilisation and frontline management.Fedorov, who was widely seen as critical to the war effort against Russia, was removed from his post last week, triggering widespread protests across the country.Demonstrators in Kyiv and other major cities have called for accountability and a more effective military strategy, with many criticising Syrskyi’s handling of the war effort, amid rising Ukrainian casualties.Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that the unit documented 1,396 civilians killed and 7,978 wounded in Ukraine in the first six months of 2026.That was a 37 percent increase from the same period in the previous year and “almost doubled what we documented in 2024,” she said.Both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified air strikes in recent months, targeting each other’s vital infrastructure, as United States-led talks on ending Russia’s invasion remain stalled, with the US’s focus largely turned towards its war on Iran.Russia has frequently used ballistic missiles while Kyiv is currently short of Patriot interceptor munitions, which are crucial to defend against the attacks.In retaliation, Ukraine is intensifying its strikes on Russian territory, mainly targeting oil depots. A series of Ukrainian drone ⁠attacks killed at least eight warehouse workers on ⁠Saturday and injured dozens more, while another attack caused a fire at an oil depot outside Moscow.