Ukraine: Why Was Army Chief Syrskyi Fired?

Following days of protests in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked Olexander Syrskyi and appointed General Mychajlo Drapatyj to take over as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The protests started when Zelensky dismissed the popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

An obstacle to reforms

This is a victory for the sacked defence minister, comments Corriere della Sera (Italy) :

“Upon his departure, Fedorov described Syrski as the biggest obstacle to the reforms that have enabled Ukraine to hit Russia harder. The general wanted more tanks and artillery? The minister pushed for more robots. ... Syrski, born in Moscow in 1965 and trained at Soviet military academies, understood little of the innovations introduced by the young Fedorov, who maintained close ties with American big-tech companies in Silicon Valley. Yet even Zelensky views the minister’s ambitions with suspicion because they threaten to overshadow his own position and public standing.”

He also had his merits

Political commentator Yurii Bohdanov (Ukraine) pays tribute to the outgoing commander-in-chief on Facebook:

“Yes, it was right to fire Oleksandr Stanislavovych [Syrskyi], both politically and as dictated by healthy common sense, because objectively speaking too many crises and problems have accumulated. This has also impacted trust considerably – within the army and between the army and the public. But we should not forget that Syrskyi fought against Russia for twelve years. And yes, we have him to thank for the defence of Kyiv, the Kharkiv counter-offensive and much more besides. This, too, is part of our complex reality.”

Other Topics of Interest

Syrsky Out, Drapaty In: Fedorov Welcomes Shakeup as Zelensky Offers Him ‘Worthy Position’

Zelensky replaces Army Chief Oleksandr Syrsky with 43-year-old Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapaty after six days of nationwide protests.

President listens to the people

Philosopher and journalist Volodymyr Yermolenko (Ukraine) highlights the power of protest in Ukraine in a Facebook post:

“Zelensky is a populist, and populists pay attention to public opinion. Sometimes this is not a bad thing. At least we know that social pressure counts in our country. Populism is a sick form of democracy – but even this sick form is better than tyranny.”

Best choice for successor

Political scientist Volodymyr Fessenko (Ukraine) welcomes President Zelensky’s decision on Facebook:

“The dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi and, above all, the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi [as commander-in-chief] are a partial solution to the political problems arising from the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister. Drapatyj’s appointment is a clear gesture of reconciliation towards Fedorov and the ‘cardboard Maidan’. At the same time, it is arguably an objective acknowledgement of the fact that, of the few candidates for the post of commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Drapatyj is best suited for the role.”

Discomfort with others’ success

HuffPost Greece comments on the dismissal of the popular Defence Minister Fedorov (Greece) :

“The decision bears all the hallmarks of Zelensky’s faible for getting rid of high-ranking officials and commanders when they become overly popular – in expectation of hypothetical elections that will never happen if Russia overruns Ukraine. Officials who are accused of corruption, incompetence or mismanagement often receive a lot more clemency – even protection – from Zelensky, as long as they don’t endanger his popularity.”