Former defence minister Fedorov thanks Syrskyi for key battles and welcomes Drapatyi as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief
Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked six days of protests across Ukraine, has thanked General Oleksandr Syrskyi for leading several key battles and welcomed the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Source: Fedorov on Facebook
Quote: "Congratulations to Major General Drapatyi on his appointment as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine!
This is a breath of fresh air and renewed hope in the struggle of free people for freedom and justice. It is the voice of change that could no longer be ignored."
Details: Fedorov added that Ukrainians' high expectations must now be met with "a clear vision for bringing the war for independence to an end, a strong team and decisive action aimed at saving the lives of our soldiers, increasing the robotisation of the line of contact, delivering asymmetric strikes and exhausting the Russian economy".
He also said that he had spoken with Syrskyi.
Quote: "I called General Oleksandr Syrskyi and thanked him for the defence of Kyiv Oblast, the Kharkiv operation and other historic battles.
They are already an important part of Ukraine's history.
But we must move even faster and write new chapters while correcting all previous mistakes."
Background:
- Protests were held in Kyiv and other cities on 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 July, with demonstrators demanding that Fedorov be reinstated as defence minister and that Oleksandr Syrskyi be dismissed as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi had been unable to find common ground and that problems on the battlefield, within brigades and with mobilisation remained unresolved.
- On 18 July, the president said he had spoken with Fedorov and Syrskyi. He promised that "decisions regarding the army will be worked out".
- On 20 July, Syrskyi apologised to Fedorov and said he had not realised there was a conflict between them.
- Following six days of protests, Zelenskyy announced his decision to dismiss Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and appoint Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace him.
- The president also said that he had offered Fedorov a "worthy leadership position". According to Ukrainska Pravda, one of the positions Zelenskyy proposed was deputy prime minister for technology.
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