Politics
President Zelensky also dismisses army chief Syrsky
- President Zelensky announced this on social media, without giving a reason.
- Syrsky's resignation was repeatedly demanded by demonstrators last week.
- Syrsky was the captain of the Ukrainian army for more than 2.5 years.
- He is not the first high-ranking leader to be dismissed by Zelensky in recent times.
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrsky is fired. President Zelensky announced this on social media, without giving a reason. Syrsky's resignation was repeatedly demanded by demonstrators last week.
Syrsky was the captain of the Ukrainian army for more than 2.5 years. He is not the first high-ranking leader to be dismissed by Zelensky in recent times. The cabinet is therefore undergoing a reshuffle.
Among others, the popular Defense Minister Fedorov was dismissed. That led to resistance among Ukrainians. He is considered the mastermind behind the latest phase of the drone war against Russia, which has increasingly borne fruit in recent months.
Protest in Ukrainian cities For several days in a row, people took to the streets in support of Fedorov. They also demanded the departure of army chief Syrsky, who reportedly had a conflict with his minister. Fedorov would have wanted to reform the armed forces, against the sore leg of generals like Syrsky.
Zelensky says nothing about this in his statement. “I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrsky and each of our soldiers for Ukraine's strong frontline positions, the president said. He praises, among other things, the Ukrainian surprise attack on the Russian region of Kursk under Syrsky.
In 2024, the Ukrainian army managed to occupy part of the border region for months. Syrsky's successor as commander of the armed forces will be Mychajlo Drapaty. This 43-year-old soldier has held various top positions within the army, such as commander of the army.
Ships and distribution centers After more than 4.5 years of war, the end of the battle is not yet in sight. The Ukrainian army now regularly hits Russia deep behind the front line. Initially, mainly oil depots were targeted, but recently also ships from the Russian shadow fleet and even distribution centers of Russia's largest online retailer.
This year, the Ukrainian armed forces liberated some occupied territory for the first time in a long time. At the same time, Russia continues to slowly advance in several places on the front. The Russian army continues to hit Ukrainian cities with missiles, partly because Ukraine has too few interceptor missiles. Kyiv is struggling with a major shortage of soldiers, partly due to conscientious objection and desertion.
Source: NOS