Zelenskyy replaces Ukrainian army chief after protests | News of the Russian-Ukrainian war

Instead of the general Syrskyi clashed with former defense minister Fedorov, whose dismissal last week sparked protests.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired Oleksandr Syrskyi as head of state, appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead the army. The move was made six days later protests in the capital, Kyiv, introduced by to remove of the Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov – who had already quarreled with Syrskyi.

Zelenskyy said Tuesday’s decision was made to “rehabilitate” the ongoing conflict with Russia.

“I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrskyi and to each of our soldiers who are at the forefront of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in a televised address. “I thank Mykhailo Drapatyi for having the same opinion.”

“Our shared ambitions are the same – the victory of the enemy and what lies ahead and pressure on Russia that will force Russia to peace,” he added. He also emphasized the need to resolve the conflict between the military leadership and resolve the ongoing problems related to mobilization and frontline management.

Fedorov, who was seen as a staunch critic of the war against Russia, was removed from his post last week, sparking widespread protests across the country.

Demonstrators in Kyiv and other major cities have called for accountability and a better military strategy, many criticizing Syrskyi for his handling of the war, among the wounded Ukrainians.

Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that the group documents 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine in the first six months of 2026.

That was a 37 percent increase from the same time last year and “almost double what we recorded in 2024,” he said.

Both Moscow and Kyiv have increased airstrikes in recent months, following each other’s demands, while US-led talks to end Russian aggression are still ongoing, and US interest has shifted dramatically. to his war against Iran.

Russia has used missiles frequently against Kyiv near Patriot interceptor weaponswhich are very important to be protected from violence.

In return, Ukraine is expanding its conflicts on Russian territory, particularly targeting oil reserves. Several attacks on Ukraine killed at least eight warehouse workers on ⁠Saturday and injured many others, when another attack started a fire at an oil depot outside Moscow.