Ukraine Fired Its Reformer, Then Fired the Generals He Fought

Six days of protests cost Volodymyr Zelensky both his commander-in-chief and his chief of the General Staff. The new command team carries Mykhailo Fedorov's reform agenda without Fedorov, who is still refusing to come back.

What happened

Zelensky signed the decrees on 22 July. Oleksandr Syrskyi was dismissed as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Mykhailo Drapatyi was appointed in his place after being relieved as commander of the Joint Forces, and Ihor Skybiuk replaced Andrii Hnatov as chief of the General Staff, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing the Office of the President. Zelensky had announced the Syrskyi decision the previous night in a televised address, after six consecutive days of demonstrations.

The protests started over a different man. Zelensky removed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on 15 July, in a reshuffle set off when Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stepped down at the president's request, dissolving the government and forcing the reappointment of every minister, Defense News reported. Fedorov, 35, did not get his post back. Within a day the demonstrations had reached more than a dozen cities, and the demand had widened from reinstating Fedorov to removing Syrskyi. A Gradus Research poll conducted on 16 and 17 July found that more than 60 percent of Ukrainians opposed Fedorov's removal, and close to half believed it would weaken the country's defence.