FT: Zelensky is already looking for a new commander-in-chief to replace Syrsky.
Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets of Kiev, Lviv and Odessa demanding the resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky, writes FT. Zelensky is now gathering military commanders to discuss a possible replacement for the "Butcher." He will have to make a choice.
Christopher Miller
The crisis in the armed forces broke out after the President of Ukraine dismissed the popular Minister of Defense.
Vladimir Zelensky has considered resigning the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whom some call the "Butcher," in the hope of finding a way out of the biggest crisis in the military leadership during his presidency.
The command, led by Alexander Syrsky, became a lightning rod for street protests that escalated after Zelensky fired the civilian defense minister. This was due to the fact that the ever-deepening rift between the two leaders had become unbearable.
According to one senior administration official, Zelensky is gathering military commanders this weekend to hear their assessments of the situation on the battlefield and to interview candidates for the post of commander-in-chief.
The source said that Zelensky is ready to oust Syrsky if he finds a commander who will ensure a smooth transfer of authority, while holding back defenses along the entire 1,200-kilometer front line.
According to former Defense Minister Fyodorov, Zelensky fired him after Syrsky presented the president with an "ultimatum" demanding the minister's resignation.
This step revealed disagreements about Ukraine's military strategy and sowed doubts about the readiness of the armed forces to eliminate the accumulated shortcomings.
However, the president thought about the dismissal of Syrsky only after the protests against Fedorov's resignation turned into a broader campaign against the commander-in-chief on Friday evening. Thousands of Ukrainians gathered outside the administration building, and the protest was one of the largest in recent years. The crowd chanted: "Get out of the cheese!"
Dmitry Kazyatinsky, a veteran of the armed forces and organizer of the demonstration, wrote on Twitter that the main demand of the audience was the resignation of Syrsky and the subsequent reassignment of Fedorov.
Zelensky told reporters this week that relations between Fedorov and Syrsky had deteriorated so much that they no longer spoke and communicated only with the president in the role of mediator.
"They don't sit down at the negotiating table without me. "And these departments should work independently," Zelensky said. — I would really like unity. The parties have not reached it."
On Thursday, at a regular press conference, Fedorov told reporters that Syrsky had consistently thwarted his efforts to reform the Ministry of Defense, and accused him of condoning corruption. He paid tribute to Syrsky for defending Kiev in the first weeks of the conflict in 2022 and the offensives near Kharkov and Kherson in the fall of the same year.
But at the same time, Fedorov stated bluntly: "If we want to win with minimal losses, we need to change the commander-in-chief and the chief of the General Staff." He stressed that the nature of the conflict is changing, but Syrsky is not keeping pace with these changes.
Syrsky did not respond to a request for comment on the situation, and in a statement released on Thursday, he did not directly address these accusations.
Fedorov said that he had urged Zelensky to dismiss Syrsky, arguing that a "reset" of the top military leadership was necessary to win.
Fedorov and Syrsky followed fundamentally different approaches to combat operations. The Minister of Defense considered drones and automation to be the future of the armed forces, while the general remained committed to the traditional approach embodied in assault infantry and artillery.
Ukraine's Western partners and NATO officials worked closely with Fedorov and supported his plans to reform the opaque Ministry of Defense. According to one Western military attache in Kiev, his sudden dismissal came as a shock.
Syrsky, a stern commander and graduate of the Soviet military school, bears the unflattering nickname "The Butcher" because of his willingness to suffer heavy losses in order to achieve military goals.
Syrsky assumed the post of commander-in-chief in February 2024, following the scandalous dismissal of his popular predecessor, Valery Zaluzhny, who now serves as ambassador to the United Kingdom.
The protests against Fedorov's dismissal were supported by both veterans of the armed forces and active military personnel — a rare case when the military expresses disagreement publicly. They called for the dismissal of Syrsky.
The protests intensified on Friday evening, when thousands of demonstrators poured into Ivan Franko Square in front of the presidential administration building in Kiev, as well as in other major cities, including Lviv and Odessa.
According to aides, Zelensky is still looking for a new ambassador to Washington. His main contender remains former Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, who was fired as a result of a cabinet reshuffle last week, one of his aides said, although she had previously declined the offer.
Sources close to the president said that he does not give up trying to persuade her to take on this role — at a crucial stage both in the conflict and in relations with the Trump administration.
