Zelenskyy's former top aide Yermak met with Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi after defence minister’s dismissal – UP sources

Ukrainska Pravda - 16 July, 20:52

Yermak and Syrskyi. Collage: Ukrainska Pravda

Andrii Yermak, former head of the Office of the President, visited Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi's command post in a frontline oblast two hours ago.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources among military and law enforcement personnel

Details: The meeting came amid the dismissal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov and the public conflict between him and the commander-in-chief.

Ukrainska Pravda has contacted Andrii Yermak for comment and sent an official request to Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Background: On 16 July, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Zelenskyy had not agreed to replace Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He said that all Defence Ministry proposals and initiatives on improving the military's performance had met with resistance.

In response to criticism from Fedorov, Syrskyi said he hoped he would remain on Ukraine's team.
Commenting on the upcoming changes at the Defence Ministry, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi were unable to work together effectively and that problems on the battlefield, in military brigades and with mobilisation remain unresolved.
Zelenskyy has announced that he will propose that parliament appoint Yevhen Khmara as defence minister. Khmara, the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, has been tasked by the president with acting as Ukraine's defence minister in the interim.
Protests in support of Fedorov are taking place near the President's Office in Kyiv and in a number of other cities across Ukraine. The protesters are calling on the authorities to reinstate Fedorov in his post in the new government and not to hand the defence minister post over to Ihor Klymenko.
Earlier, Yermak was formally served with a notice of suspicion in a case concerning the alleged laundering of UAH 460 million (around US$10.5 million) during the construction of the high-end Dynastiia ("Dynasty") housing complex in Kozyn, near Kyiv. According to investigators, some of the funds used for the construction may have originated from corruption schemes at Energoatom. Bail of UAH 140 million (around US$3.1 million) was posted on his behalf.

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