Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi is expected to lose his job as Volodymyr Zelensky looks set to stave off widespread protests.
In the past week, demonstrators have gathered outside the Ukrainian president’s office in Kyiv demanding Syrskyi’s sacking and the reinstatement of popular former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was fired after a clash with senior military leaders.
Fedorov, who is credited with improving Ukraine’s army since he took office in January, was said to have had significant differences with the commander-in-chief.
But Syrskyi on Monday publicly denied the differences were irreconcilable and said their relationship was a professional one, despite the disagreements.
He wrote in Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi: “It is hard work, not the public drama surrounding it, that wins the war.
“Ukraine is greater than Fedorov, Syrskyi, or any one of us. Reducing this war to a confrontation between two individuals is the greatest favour we could do for the enemy.”
He added that he was “sorry” if he had offended Fedorov, adding: “I can be harsh. But I ask you, and everyone who is following this story with enthusiasm: let’s focus not on the personal, but on the global. On victory.”
Zelensky is considering replacing Syrskyi with Joint Forces chief Mykhailo Drapatyi, but he is only one of a list of 11 potential candidates, two unnamed sources told Bloomberg.
He confirmed last week, during a press conference with Sir Keir Starmer, that there was a rift between the defence ministry and senior military figures. “I would like unity very much. The parties did not find it. And this is not only the problem of the parties, but also mine,” the Ukrainian president added.
Ukraine’s general staff on Monday denied the reports that Syrskyi was about to be sacked, stating that the commander and his deputy, Andriy Hinatov, were carrying out their duties, and that dismissal would take place “on the basis of a decree by the president of Ukraine”.
Syrskyi has served as commander-in-chief since February 2024, after General Valerii Zaluzhnyi was removed by Zelensky during a time of increasing tension between the pair – although his dismissal was officially on ‘health grounds’.
Fedorov, meanwhile, was the last remaining minister to have held positions in all of Zelensky’s governments.
A tech-savvy reformer who has remained close to the president since his election in 2019, parliament is now set to vote on his replacement by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. It is unclear as to whether Fedorov will be given another government job.
His supporters pointed to his role in turning battlefield momentum in Ukraine’s favour this year, through ramping up drone purchases and a crucial intervention to cut Russian units off from Starlink internet services.
But his attempts to overhaul the sprawling defence ministry and armed forces reportedly created tensions with Syrskyi – and he has failed to tackle longtime problems around military conscription.
