Zelenskyy replaces Ukraine's top commander amid protests
A look back at the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi and the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi.
What happened to Ukraine's military leadership on 21 July 2026? President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and named Mykhailo Drapatyi, until then commander of the Joint Forces, to replace him.
The decision came amid public protests. As reported at the time, one account linked them to the removal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, while another described them as a demand for Syrskyi's removal. The two descriptions point to a politically charged moment around the leadership of the country's defence establishment.
The change placed a new figure at the head of the armed forces. Drapatyi moved from leading the Joint Forces to the top command post, replacing the officer he had been serving under.
The day's reports did not set out further details of the handover, and the appointment is best understood as the outcome of events that had already pushed military and political leadership into the public eye.
