President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, on Tuesday (21), amid nationwide protests against key changes in his government.
The trigger for the various demonstrations that took place in Ukraine was the dismissal of Defense Minister Mikhaylo Fedorov last week. Considered one of the most popular authorities in the government, Fedorov had an internal conflict with the head of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
With the outbreak of protests that brought thousands of people to the streets of Kiev and other cities, Zelensky fired Syrskyi, replacing him with a figure close to the former Defense Minister, and offered Mikhaylo Fedorov a “prominent position” overseeing the army’s command structure.
The changes come amid a general shake-up in Zelensky’s government, which began with the dismissal of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. But it was the resignation of the Minister of Defense — seen by a portion of the Ukrainian population as an efficient leader of the Ministry of Defense and associated with the fight against corruption in the country — that sparked protests in several cities across the country and exposed weaknesses in the Ukrainian government.
Last Tuesday (21), General Mykhailo Drapaty was appointed the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in place of Oleksandr Syrskyi. He will be the third in office since the start of the conflict with Russia. Drapaty is considered close to former Defense Minister Mikhaylo Fedorov’s circle of influence, which was seen as a concession by Zelensky in relation to the protests in the country.
Commenting on the changes in the command of the Ukrainian army, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that this “will probably not lead to changes at the front.”
According to him, the shake-up in Ukraine’s military leadership is only “shaking the Kiev regime from within”. “In the meantime, our armed forces continue offensive operations along the entire front as part of a special military operation,” the Kremlin spokesman concluded.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
