Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering removing Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and has begun meeting senior military officers to weigh potential replacements, according to a Ukrainian administration source cited by the Financial Times.
Zelensky plans to convene commanders over the weekend to hear their assessments and review candidates for the top military post. Syrsky assumed the role in February 2024 following the dismissal of Valery Zaluzhny.
The deliberations coincide with growing street pressure in Kyiv, where thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the presidential administration building chanting "Syrsky out." The rallies, which began on July 16 and are set to continue through July 18, originally protested the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov but have since broadened into a campaign against the military chief himself.