Conflict & Security
Ukrainian soldiers and civilians welcome new army commander
Ukrainian soldiers and civilians said they welcomed the appointment of Mykhailo Drapaty as the country's new army commander in the fifth year of Russia's invasion, while some said they still hoped for the return of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
President Volodymyr Zelensky removed army chief Oleksandr Syrsky on Tuesday and replaced him with Drapaty. The move followed large war-related protests after the surprise replacement of Fedorov last week. Several thousand people had taken to the streets demanding Fedorov's reinstatement and Syrsky's removal.
In Izium, a city 30 kilometres, or 20 miles, from Russian positions, a 22-year-old soldier using the military nickname Khrest said Syrsky's departure was a good thing, but that he still wanted Fedorov back in government.
Khrest said Fedorov had been pushing for wider use of fixed-term contracts, a key demand for soldiers, many of whom are fighting without a set period of service. He said the contracts would let mobilised soldiers know how long they would have to serve and would help them get rest.
Another soldier in Izium, using the nickname Ananas, also welcomed Syrsky's removal. Syrsky is described as a career officer who led the defence of Kyiv in 2022 and oversaw Ukraine's successful 2022 counter-offensive in Kharkiv, but who also developed a reputation for not caring about losses.
Ananas said Syrsky had sent many people into extremely dangerous fighting early in the war and said he believed Syrsky had got off lightly by being dismissed. The soldier also alleged that Syrsky had been linked to a scandal over reports of violence against new recruits in the Skelia assault unit.
Syrsky called the violations shameful and said measures had been taken against those responsible.
Ananas said discontent was likely to continue unless Fedorov returned. He praised Fedorov, who is known for efforts to improve Ukraine's drone technology, saying Fedorov wanted fewer soldiers to die and drones to fight in their place.
Svitlana, a 48-year-old nurse in an airborne assault unit, said Drapaty's arrival was positive and described him as a respected combat officer. She said she was grateful to civilians who protested to remove Syrsky, saying civil society could influence such decisions.
Svitlana also praised the digitalisation work led by Fedorov and called him a good manager, but warned against idealising him. She said soldiers' pay had started to decrease somewhat during his tenure and that this affected families. She said she did not yet have an opinion on Yevgen Khmara, Fedorov's successor, who comes from the security services.
In Kyiv, 69-year-old Oleg said Syrsky's removal was not enough because people had gathered to support Fedorov and the aim had not been achieved. He said he believed Zelensky had tried to turn attention away with Fedorov's removal and that real change would require a replacement at the top of government.
Taisiia Obod, a 21-year-old political science student, said she hoped Fedorov would remain within government and that momentum for his reforms and initiatives would continue.
Update
Soldiers and civilians said they welcomed Mykhailo Drapaty's appointment as army commander.
Some soldiers and civilians said they still wanted former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov to return or remain in government.
A soldier using the nickname Khrest said Fedorov supported fixed-term contracts for mobilised soldiers.
A soldier using the nickname Ananas said Syrsky should have faced more than dismissal and linked him to reports of violence against recruits in the Skelia assault unit.
A nurse in an airborne assault unit, Svitlana, described Drapaty's appointment as positive and called him a respected combat officer.
Kyiv residents Oleg and Taisiia Obod said the removal of Syrsky did not fully answer demands connected to Fedorov.
Source note: AFP news report published on 22 July 2026 at 16:30:57 UTC.
Update
Drapaty is 43 and replaces Oleksandr Syrsky, who is 60.
Drapaty is described as a career military officer trained within Ukraine's independent post-Soviet system.
He became known during fighting with Russia-backed separatists in 2014 after commanding an infantry vehicle through a barricade in Mariupol.
He is credited with recapturing several settlements from Russian control and saving his unit from encirclement during fighting with Moscow-backed rebels.
Ukrainian media reported that Drapaty has a wife and children.
He resigned as ground forces commander in June 2025 after Russian attacks on Ukrainian training grounds and was moved to head Ukraine's joint forces command.
Political commentator Volodymyr Fesenko said the resignation showed decisiveness and strong ethical standards.
Drapaty said the army's transformation must continue after Fedorov's dismissal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow did not think the change would alter the front lines.
Former army chief Valery Zaluzhny said the new commander-in-chief would face a very difficult time.
Sergiy Prytula said Drapaty faces inflated expectations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 22 July 2026 at 10:44:05 UTC.
Update
The dismissal followed days of protests in support of ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Fedorov accused Syrsky of forcing him out and stalling military reforms, which Syrsky denied.
Zelensky thanked Syrsky and Ukrainian troops for strong frontline positions in his Telegram post.
Drapaty previously commanded Ukraine's ground army and fought Moscow-backed separatists during the Donbas war.
Drapaty thanked Zelensky for the appointment and said serving Ukraine during the war meant absolute responsibility.
Fedorov welcomed Drapaty's appointment and called it a source of new hope.
Thousands protested across Ukraine after Fedorov was removed, expressing frustration over lack of military reforms and calling for Syrsky's removal.
The source says Syrsky was criticized for not caring about the scale of human losses and for slowing reforms to procurement, equipment and mobilisation.
Drapaty becomes Ukraine's third commander-in-chief since Russia invaded in February 2022.
The United Nations reported a surge in civilian deaths in Ukraine in recent months.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 July 2026 at 21:04:25 UTC.
Update
Zelensky said in a Telegram post that Mykhailo Drapaty would be the new commander-in-chief.
The source says Syrsky's removal came amid a political crisis triggered by the removal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Fedorov accused Syrsky of forcing him out and blocking his reform efforts, and Syrsky denied the charge.
Ukrainian media had long reported tensions between Syrsky and Fedorov.
Syrsky, 60, had served as commander-in-chief since 2024 and led the defence of Kyiv at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 July 2026 at 20:06:36 UTC.
Update
Zelensky said he was dismissing Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief of Ukraine's army.
Zelensky said joint forces commander Mykhailo Drapaty would become the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Zelensky thanked Syrsky and Ukraine's warriors for what he called strong front-line positions.
Zelensky made the announcement in a Telegram post.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 July 2026 at 19:48:39 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The reports of violence against new recruits in the Skelia assault unit are presented as reports and allegations in the source.
The source records views from selected soldiers and civilians and does not establish how widely those views are held across Ukraine.
The future role of Fedorov in government remains unclear.
Source
AFP news report published on .