President Volodymyr Zelensky axed the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces Tuesday, following days of mass protests across the country demanding his replacement.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi was fired from his top post and was replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a social media post by the Ukrainian leader.

“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,” Zelensky wrote.

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

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky fired his commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, amid ongoing protests in Kyiv. SERGEY DOLZHENKO/EPA/Shutterstock

The firing is the second major shakeup Zelensky has made under pressure from protesters — after public demonstrations last summer forced him to walk back on a law weakening Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs. 

Zelensky said the decision to replace the nation’s top army chief came after a series of meetings with military commanders following the protests that broke out across the country last week.

Demonstrators demanded the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whom the public saw as a driver of military modernization, and insisted on firing Syrskyi, who they say embodied the military’s old, Soviet-style command and previously earned the gruesome nickname of “Butcher” within the military. 

Zelensky named Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief. AFP via Getty Images

Fedorov served as the defense minister of Ukraine from January to July of this year before being dismissed by Zelensky just six months into his post.

Syrskyi — who held the position of commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces since February 2024 — was praised by the Ukrainian president for the defense of Kyiv and operations in Kharkiv and Kursk.

“I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine’s strong front-line positions,” Zelensky wrote on social media, adding that he is “grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for holding that same view.”

Zelensky met with Fedorov separately on Tuesday and offered him what he referred to as a respected position in the government that would unify the country’s technology sector.

Syrskyi faced criticism from citizens across the country and other members of the government for his controversial military decisions. Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

It was unclear if Fedorov accepted the offer, or whether the shakeup would satisfy protesters taking to the streets, demanding his reinstatement. 

Fedorov congratulated the incoming defense minister, calling the appointment “new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice” and “a voice for change that could not go unheard.”

Before his dismissal, Fedorov criticized Syrskyi for blocking his reform efforts and said he needed to be replaced for Ukraine not to fail in its resistance against Russia — but he called to thank Syrskyi for defending the Kyiv region, the Kharkiv operation and other military battles. 

Public unrest broke out in Ukraine last Thursday after Zelensky overhauled his wartime government and fired Fedorov as defense minister to allegedly appease his top military general.

The Ukrainian leader cited an unworkable rift between Fedorov and Syrskyi, telling reporters he would “have to resolve it” as the two couldn’t settle their dispute themselves. 

After being fired, Fedorov publicly accused Syrskyi of blocking military reforms and fostering a top-down command culture — which echoed complaints from Ukrainian soldiers and veterans over mass casualties in costly front-line assaults. 

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Thousands of protesters then took to the streets of Kyiv and other cities across the country, claiming the axing of Fedorov was Zelensky siding with an entrenched military old guard over a reformer.

Ukraine’s air force deputy commander resigned in protest, warning the shakeup would weaken the country’s air defenses while veterans and soldiers on leave joined the large protests in solidarity. 

With Post wires