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What did Zelenskyy's command change involve by 23 July 2026?
Summary
A look back at the dismissal of Ukraine's commander-in-chief and the protests that surrounded it.
What had Ukraine's leadership shake-up produced by 23 July 2026? Two days earlier, on 21 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi, until then commander of the Joint Forces, as Syrskyi's replacement.
The decision came amid protests. As reported at the time, they were linked to the removal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and one account said demonstrators also demanded that Syrskyi be removed from his post.
The change at the top of the armed forces therefore followed a period of public pressure over senior appointments. Drapatyi, previously in charge of the Joint Forces, took over the military's top command.
