Replaced military chief Syrskii clashed with former Defence Minister Fedorov, whose removal last week led to protests.<\/p>\n
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired Oleksandr Syrskii as the country\u2019s commander-in-chief, appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead the military. The move comes after six days of protests<\/a> in the capital, Kyiv, sparked by the removal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov<\/a>, who had previously clashed with Syrskii.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy said Tuesday\u2019s decision to appoint Drapatyi was made to \u201creset\u201d the ongoing defence against Russia\u2019s invading troops.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n \u201cI am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine\u2019s strong front-line positions,\u201d Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media. \u201cI am grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for holding that same view.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur shared wish is one \u2013 victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,\u201d he added. He emphasised the need to address friction within the military leadership and resolve persistent issues concerning mobilisation and front-line management.<\/p>\n Fedorov, who was seen by many as pivotal to the war effort, was removed from his post last week, leading to widespread anger across Ukraine. Before his dismissal, the former defence minister had publicly criticised Syrskii, saying the general was blocking his reform efforts and needed to be replaced if Ukraine were to defeat Russia\u2019s invasion.<\/p>\n Fedorov has been attempting to advance drone innovation and more reliance on technology, but had accused Syrskii \u2013 seen as more of a traditionalist \u2013 of sabotaging his work.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy met with Fedorov on Tuesday and offered him what he called \u201ca respected position in the government that would unify the country\u2019s technology sector\u201d. It was not clear if Fedorov accepted the offer, according to the Associated Press news agency.<\/p>\n It is unclear if the changes will pacify the demonstrators, who have been demanding accountability and a more effective military strategy, with many criticising Syrskii and Zelenskyy\u2019s handling of the war effort amid rising Ukrainian casualties.<\/p>\n Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that the unit documented that 1,396 civilians were killed<\/a> and 7,978 were wounded in Ukraine in the first six months of 2026.<\/p>\n That was a 37 percent increase from the same period the previous year and \u201calmost doubled what we documented in 2024\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n Both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified air strikes in recent months, targeting each other\u2019s vital infrastructure, as United States-led talks on ending Russia\u2019s invasion remain stalled, with Washington\u2019s focus largely turned towards its war on Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n Russia has frequently used ballistic missiles, while Kyiv is currently short of Patriot interceptor munitions<\/a>, which are crucial to defend against the attacks.<\/p>\n