There has been a shake-up of Ukraine's top military jobs with Zelensky hoping to bring his former defence minister back into government.

07:05, Wed, Jul 22, 2026 Updated: 07:08, Wed, Jul 22, 2026

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Zelensky has sacked his commander-in-chief (Image: Getty)

Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked Ukraine's army chief following days of protests. The Ukrainian President replaced former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, 60, with the battle-hardened 43-year-old general Mykhailo Drapatyi in a bid to bring his former defence minister back into the fold.

There has been widespread wartime protests over recent days following Zelensky's dismissal of the popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The demonstrations, which started in Kyiv on July 16 before expanding to other major hubs across Ukraine, have created political unrest and forced a shake-up of the country's top military leadership. Zelensky has now sacked Syrskyi in a bid to bring Fedorov back into his government.

There has been months of publicly-known friction between Syrskyi and Fedorov. The former defence minister asked Zelensky to fire the general but was instead forced to quit himself.

The move triggered protests with Ukrainians calling for Fedorov to return to a position of real authority as they see him as crucial in Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia. On the other hand, Syrskyi has become deeply unpopular among many of his own soldiers as commander-in-chief.

Fedorov has been praised for energising the armed forced and leading a drive against corruption while Syrskyi is seen as a Soviet-school commander who is reluctant to enforce radical changes to the military.

In a video posted on Tuesday night (July 21), Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his military campaigns.

He added:"It is a fact that Oleksandr Syrskyi delivered results for Ukraine in the defence of Kyiv, the Kharkiv offensive, and the Kursk operation.

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Protests erupted in Ukraine after Mykhailo Fedorov lost his job as defence minister (Image: Getty)

"We have come a long way; Ukraine's defence continues, and every warrior must be treated with dignity… We all want the same thing: to defeat the enemy and create the conditions – on the front line and through pressure on Russia – that would allow us to force Russia into peace.

"Tomorrow, we will formalise all of these decisions. Ukraine must emerge from this situation stronger, and it will be harder for Russia. Glory to Ukraine!"

Meanwhile, Zelensky also said he had spoken with Fedorov to offer him a "prominent position" back in government. However, it is not clear whether this offer will be accepted with reports suggesting he would only return to his previous role as defence minister.

Fedorov also congratulated Drapatyi with his new job, describing his appointment as a "new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice". He said it was "the voice of change that could not be ignored".