Zelenskyy considers dismissing Syrskyi, candidate interviews set for weekend

Replacing Syrskyi is being considered as an attempt to resolve what the Financial Times described as the biggest crisis in Ukraine's military leadership during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presidency.

According to a senior official in the Presidential Office, Zelenskyy is expected to meet with military commanders this weekend to hear their assessments of the battlefield situation and interview candidates for the post of commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

A source told the Financial Times that Zelenskyy will dismiss Syrskyi if he finds a commander capable of ensuring a smooth transition while maintaining a strong defense along the 1,200-kilometer (750-mile) front line.

The president began considering Syrskyi's dismissal after protests over Fedorov's removal evolved into a broader campaign against the commander-in-chief on July 17. Thousands of demonstrators in central Kyiv chanted, "Syrskyi must go."

The newspaper said Fedorov and Syrskyi held fundamentally different views on how to wage the war. The former defense minister sees drones and automation as the future, while Gen. Syrskyi remains committed to a more conventional approach centered on assault infantry and artillery. According to the report, Fedorov's abrupt dismissal came as a shock, including to Ukraine's Western partners.

The Financial Times also reported that Zelenskyy is continuing his search for a new Ukrainian ambassador to the United States and hopes to persuade former Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to take the post.

Fedorov's dismissal and the protests in Ukraine

On July 16, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Yevhen Khmara, the former head of the Alpha Special Operations Center of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), would serve as acting defense minister in Serhii Koretskyi's new government.

Zelenskyy also confirmed that Fedorov had been in conflict with Syrskyi. The former defense minister said the commander-in-chief had blocked all of his initiatives and issued ultimatums.

On July 16, hundreds of people gathered in Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and other cities for the so-called "cardboard protests," opposing Fedorov's dismissal, describing him as one of Ukraine's most effective ministers and calling for Syrskyi's removal.

On July 17, demonstrators again took to the streets in Kyiv, Lutsk, Mykolaiv and other regional capitals, demanding Fedorov's reinstatement and the replacement of the commander-in-chief. Organizers announced another round of protests for July 18.