Zelensky weighs firing army chief Syrskyi after defence minister's dismissal triggers protests

The Fedorov-Syrskyi split

The crisis erupted after President Zelensky dismissed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a 35-year-old advocate of drones and automation, who had clashed openly with commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, 60, a general trained in the Soviet tradition. Fedorov accused Syrskyi of blocking his reform efforts and asked Zelensky to replace both the army chief and the chief of the general staff. Zelensky later admitted the two men could no longer sit at the same table without his mediation. Syrskyi delivered an ultimatum, "him or me," and Zelensky initially sided with the military commander, removing Fedorov as part of a wider government reshuffle that also saw premier Yulia Svyrydenko leave her post.

With a war ongoing, a president should not be forced to make a choice in a situation like this. I would prefer unity. But the parties did not find it. And it is not only a problem of the parties, but also mine.

Protests in Kiev

Fedorov's dismissal triggered immediate backlash. By Friday evening, thousands of people had gathered outside the presidential administration building in Kiev, chanting "Syrskyi out." The crowds included veterans, active-duty soldiers and relatives of servicemen. Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran and one of the protest organisers, said the demonstrators' primary demand was to remove Syrskyi and reinstate Fedorov at the defence ministry. The protests continued into the weekend, turning the personnel dispute into the most serious political-military crisis of Zelensky's tenure.

Their number one demand is to remove the commander-in-chief and reinstate Fedorov at the top of the Defence Ministry.

Zelensky's weekend consultations

According to a senior Ukrainian administration official cited by the Financial Times, Zelensky will convene military commanders over the weekend to hear their assessments of the battlefield and to evaluate possible successors to Syrskyi. The president is willing to proceed with the removal, the source said, but only if he can identify a commander capable of ensuring an orderly handover without weakening the 1,200-kilometre front line. Zelensky had already begun consultations on Friday, meeting Andriy Biletsky, head of the Third Army Corps, and other senior officers.

Instead of trying to understand how to defeat Russia asymmetrically, he tried to divide the country. And this is a huge problem.

Drone strikes on Russian logistics

While the leadership crisis unfolded, Ukrainian forces struck deep inside Russia. Drones hit two logistics centres belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce company, in the towns of Kotovsk and Elektrostal, located more than 500 and nearly 700 kilometres from the front line respectively. Local authorities reported at least eight dead and over 60 injured. Kyiv said the facilities were supplying components for drone and navigation systems production, making them legitimate military targets.

Syrskyi's position

Syrskyi, nicknamed "the Butcher" for his alleged indifference to casualty counts, has led Ukraine's armed forces since February 2024, when he replaced the popular Valeriy Zaluzhny. Zaluzhny was sent to London as ambassador and is now seen as a political rival to Zelensky. Syrskyi's traditional approach, centred on assault infantry and artillery, has increasingly clashed with the technology-driven vision championed by Fedorov. The weekend meetings will determine whether Zelensky opts to remove him and attempt to restore unity, or whether the front-line risks force him to keep the general in place.