President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is considering the possibility of removing the army chief, according to two sources familiar with the matter, amid pressure from mass protests demanding the resignation of the military leader. One of the interlocutors named Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as a possible successor to Oleksandr Syrskyi, reports UNN citing Bloomberg.
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The publication notes that Zelenskyy has already begun considering who could replace Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the sources said.
One source stated that the Ukrainian leader is likely to choose the Commander of the Joint Forces, Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, as Syrskyi's successor, who could be dismissed within a few days.
A second source reported that the decision on a replacement has not yet been made from a list that includes 11 candidates.
Zelenskyy's aide Dmytro Lytvyn declined to comment, but told journalists that Syrskyi is unlikely to be fired on Monday.
The General Staff of Ukraine stated that Syrskyi has not been dismissed and continues to perform his duties.
The president said he met with Drapatyi on Monday in a post on X, but did not mention any plans to replace the commander-in-chief. This is the latest in a series of talks between Zelenskyy and senior generals since protests erupted last week over his dismissal of popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Thousands of people took to the streets in Kyiv and other major cities to protest the dismissal of the defense minister. Fedorov told journalists that he had sought Syrskyi's dismissal, accusing him of obstructing military reforms, but Zelenskyy sided with the army commander-in-chief.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that Zelenskyy is considering the possibility of dismissing the commander-in-chief.
Let us add
Syrskyi was appointed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army in early 2024, replacing General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who was dismissed due to tensions with Zelenskyy.