Protest in Kyiv, Ukraine demanding reinstatement of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov
Monday’s Coverage: Kyiv Strikes Near Moscow
EA-Ukraine VideoCast: Will Kyiv’s Political Turmoil Undermine Its Success v. Russia?
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced the replacement of commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi with Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi in his nightly address to the nation. Zelensky said he offered former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov a new position but did not say whether he had accepted. Zelenskyy’s full address tonight announcing the appointment of new Commander in Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi. He says the General Staff will also be reconfigured. Zelenskyy also offered former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov a new position, but did not say whether he’d accepted. As… pic.twitter.com/lE4vYiOq06 — Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) July 21, 2026 Fedorov responded to Drapatyi’s appointment: This is a breath of fresh air and new hope in the struggle….It is the voice of change that could not go unheard. Now the high expectations of the Ukrainian people must be met with a clear vision for bringing the war of independence to an end, a strong team, and decisive actions aimed at preserving the lives of our soldiers, robotizing the front line, delivering asymmetric strikes, and exhausting the Russian economy. Under intense public pressure, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed military commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. Syrskyi has been replaced by Joint Forces chief Mykhailo Drapatyi, who is supported by many protesters. Zelensky said he met Drapatyi twice over the past two days, as well as conferring with other senior commanders. He said his decision was made in a meeting with acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara and the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa. Drapatyi, 43, was a backer of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, dismissed by Zelensky last Wednesday after a dispute with Syrskyi over technology, manpower, and resources. Drapatyi said he saw a genuine effort to change rules that have long governed the military, addressing the issues that “the system has grown accustomed to ignoring”. A commander has no right to remain silent about problems, especially when their cost is measured in lost opportunities, time, and human lives. Silence does not protect the army; it only allows mistakes to accumulate until they become much more difficult to correct. Under Drapayti’s command, the newly-created Joint Forces pushed back Russian forces in the Kharkiv region in northeast Ukraine. Previously, he led the Dnipro operational-strategic group, which oversaw the eastern frontlines until Syrskyi disbanded it in October 2025. Zelensky appointed Drapatyi to command Ukraine’s Ground Forces in 2024. Former German officials and high-ranking allies of Vladimir Putin held a clandestine meeting in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku last week, says Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. A joint investigation by German media established that since 2024, former senior German officials Ronald Pofalla and Matthias Platzeck have met former Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov and figures sanctioned by the European Union. Pofalla was head of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office. Platzeck was federal chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Germany’s security agencies say the meetings are a Russian influence operation seeking to shape German policy, with Putin’s allies saying Russia’s can only end on Moscow’s terms. The two sides then considered how to normalize bilateral ties after the culmination of the invasion. Speaking after a meeting in Berlin with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Aliyev said Baku investigated the visits after reading about them in media reports: “We received no information about this from either Germany or Russia. In other words, our territory was simply used without our knowledge.” Last year, German legislators expressed concerned over meetings in Baku between German politicians and Russians including Zubkov and Valeriy Fadeyev, chair of Russia’s “Human Rights Council”. The Germans included Ralf Stegner, a senior member of the SPD, and Pofalla. Aliyev said flight records showed Pofalla and Platzeck travelled to Baku on July 12 and returned to Berlin on July 14. Zubkov and Fadeyev were in the Azerbaijani capital at the same time. Chancellor Merz said he was unaware of the meeting. At least 10 civilians were murdered and 87 injured by Russian attacks on seven Ukrainian regions over the past day. Air defenses downed 46 of 58 drones launched by Russia overnight. Eight UAVs hit seven locations. In the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, four people were killed and 13 injured. In the neighboring Kharkiv region, two civilians were murdered and 15 injured, including a 13-year-old. In the Odesa region in the south, three people were slain and eight wounded by a Russian attack on a civilian factory. In the Zaporizhzhia region, one person was killed and 16 injured. Casualties were also reported from the Sumy, Kherson, and Chernihiv regions. Ukraine’s latest drone strikes have hit an industrial zone near Lipetsk in southwest Russia, an industrial park in the Leningrad region in the northwest, and a fuel depot in occupied Mariupol. Lipetsk, Russia, a fire broke out near the CHP plant. — MAKS 26 (@maks23.bsky.social) July 21, 2026 at 7:15 AM
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ORIGINAL ENTRY: Protesters have issued a Friday deadline for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to reinstate Mykhailo Fedorov, dismissed as Defense Minister last Wednesday.
Demonstrators are also seeking the removal of military commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, whose dispute with Fedorov sparked the Defense Minister’s dismissal.
Thousands of protesters have gathered in central Kyiv and in other Ukrainian cities since last Thursday. Organizers indicated on Monday that they will pause the demonstrations for Zelensky to act before the Friday deadline.
Claims are circulating that Zelensky will soon remove Gen. Syrskyi.
Two “sources familiar with the matter” said Joint Forces chief Mykhailo Drapatyi could replace Syrskyi. One official Zelensky is choosing from a list of 11 potential candidates.
Zelensky offered Fedorov another role focused on military technology and modernization of the Defense Ministry, but is only willing to return as Defense Minister.
Fedorov, who took office in January, is widely credited for innovations helping Ukraine move from defense to counter-attack against Russia’s invasion. However, his focus on technology clashed with Syrskyi’s focus on manpower and a highly-centralized command structure. The commander-in-chief claimed he was being deprived of resources for the frontline, but Fedorov said those resources were being wasted.
