KYIV, Ukraine (AP) \u2014 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday fired Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of Ukraine\u2019s armed forces following days of mass protests in Kyiv and other cities nationwide demanding his removal.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new army chief, according to a statement on social media. \u201cOur shared wish is one \u2014 victory over the enemy and conditions at the front and in pressure on Russia that would force Russia toward peace,\u201d Zelenskyy said.<\/p>\n
The Ukrainian leader said he made the decision after a series of meetings with military commanders. They began shortly after protests broke out demanding the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, seen by demonstrators as a driver of military modernization, and the removal of Syrskyi, who they said embodied the army\u2019s old, Soviet-style command culture.<\/p>\n
Zelenskyy thanked Syrskyi for his achievements in Ukraine’s fight against Russia and praised him for the defense of Kyiv and for operations in Kharkiv and Kursk. \u201cI am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to every one of our warriors for Ukraine\u2019s strong front-line positions,\u201d he said. \u201cI am grateful to Mykhailo Drapatyi for holding that same view.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy separately met with Fedorov and offered him what he called a respected position in government that would unify the country\u2019s technology sector. But it wasn’t clear if Fedorov accepted the offer and whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters and bring peace to the streets.<\/p>\n
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