As Ukraine enters its fifth year of facing Russia’s full-scale invasion, a wave of public discontent has forced a high-level shakeup in the country’s top military leadership, with frontline troops and ordinary residents broadly welcoming the change but pushing for further adjustments to the defense cabinet.
The unrest began last week, when President Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly replaced Mykhailo Fedorov, a popular reformist former defense minister who drew widespread support among rank-and-file soldiers for his policy priorities. Thousands of protesters took to Ukrainian streets to demand Fedorov’s reinstatement and the dismissal of then-army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky, marking the largest war-related public demonstrations Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Bowing to public pressure, Zelensky announced Syrsky’s removal on Tuesday and appointed Mykhailo Drapaty, a decorated combat officer, to take over the army’s top post.
Interviews with AFP from frontline areas and across Kyiv this week reveal mixed but largely positive reaction to the leadership shakeup, with continued calls for Fedorov’s return to government. In Izium, a Ukrainian city just 30 kilometers from current Russian frontline positions, a 22-year-old frontline soldier who goes by the military call sign Khrest called Syrsky’s departure “a good thing” but made clear that discontent would not fade without Fedorov’s reinstatement.
Khrest explained that Fedorov had pushed to implement widespread fixed-term service contracts for mobilized troops, a longstanding core demand for Ukrainian soldiers. Many currently serve without a defined end to their deployment even after three and a half years of full-scale war. “He’s introducing contracts so that mobilised soldiers at least know how long they’ll have to serve,” Khrest told AFP, adding that Fedorov also prioritized guaranteeing regular rest periods for frontline troops.
Another Izium-based soldier, 30-year-old Ananas, echoed that support for Drapaty’s appointment and criticism of Syrsky. Though Syrsky was celebrated for leading the successful 2022 defense of Kyiv and the Kharkiv counteroffensive that reclaimed large swathes of northeastern Ukraine, he drew intense criticism from rank-and-file troops for his tolerance of heavy personnel casualties and a recent scandal over abuse of new recruits. “He threw a lot of people into the meat grinder at the start of the war,” Ananas said, adding “I think he got off lightly by simply being dismissed.” Ananas also alleged Syrsky was tied to the abuse scandal at the Skelia assault unit. Syrsky previously described the reported violations as “shameful” and confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken against those responsible.
Ananas also praised Fedorov’s work to expand Ukraine’s drone program, noting the former minister pushed to prioritize drone operations to reduce troop casualties. “People like that should not be removed. They are doing the right thing,” he said, warning that public discontent would persist unless Fedorov returned to cabinet.
Svitlana, a 48-year-old nurse serving with an airborne assault unit, described Drapaty, a widely respected career combat officer, as a positive replacement for Syrsky, and thanked civilian protesters for pushing for the leadership change. “I believe only civil society can influence these processes. While we are here defending rights, people went out and defended theirs,” she said. She also praised Fedorov for his work digitizing military administration and called him a “good manager,” though she cautioned against idealizing the former minister, noting that military pay had fallen slightly during his tenure, creating financial strain for soldiers’ families. She has not yet formed an opinion on Fedorov’s successor, Yevgen Khmara, a veteran of Ukraine’s security services.
In Kyiv, many civilians echoed the calls for further changes to the government. For 69-year-old Oleg, Syrsky’s dismissal was not enough to meet protester demands. “People got together to support Fedorov… the aim has not yet been achieved,” he said. Oleg argued that Zelensky’s reshuffle was an attempt to redirect public attention away from broader government shortcomings, and argued real change would require more shakeups at the highest levels of government.
Twenty-one-year-old political science student Taisiia Obod echoed that sentiment, saying she hoped Fedorov would be given a new role within government and that his reform agenda would continue to be implemented. The reshuffle comes as Ukraine continues to contend with incremental Russian advances along the frontline and growing uncertainty over Western military support, putting sustained pressure on the country’s political and military leadership.