Zelensky ousts Ukraine’s military commander as major shake-up continues

KYIV — Volodymyr Zelensky ousted the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces on Monday, days after abruptly dismissing the country’s defense minister, who won praise as the architect of Ukraine’s increasingly successful long-range drone assaults on Russia.

Zelensky appointed Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces, to replace Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, who had led the military since February 2024, winning a reputation as a loyalist to the president in an old-school Soviet style of command.

Syrsky’s repeated clashes over strategy with the younger defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who had worked to modernize the armed forces, exposed a bitter generational divide among top leaders just as Ukraine’s armed forces appeared to be gaining advantage against Russia. Zelensky’s firing of Fedorov last week has sparked widespread protests; demonstrators fear it could undermine Ukraine’s war effort.

“I would like to thank the President of Ukraine for his trust, the Minister of Defense for his support, and the Defense Forces for this new phase of service,” Drapatyi wrote on Facebook after the announcement. “I will work responsibly, with focus and with respect for the people who are defending our country today.”

Belton reported from London and Yang from Washington.