Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaces top Ukraine general after mass protests

{"text":[[{"start":8.7,"text":"Mykhailo Drapatyi assumed the role of commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces on Wednesday after Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed controversial general and close ally Oleksandr Syrsky in the biggest shake-up of the country’s military leadership since 2024."}],[{"start":26.55,"text":"The Ukrainian president’s shake-up of his top military brass followed days of mass protests, with demonstrators adding Syrsky’s removal to a growing list of demands that included the reinstatement of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed by Zelenskyy in last week’s cabinet reshuffle."}],[{"start":44.3,"text":"In his first statement as head of the country’s army, Drapatyi said: “We have a difficult job ahead, so we will get on with it without making grand promises, but with responsibility for our decisions and respect for the people who hold the front and help Ukraine survive.”"}],[{"start":60.099999999999994,"text":"The president also appointed Ihor Skybiuk to serve as chief of the General Staff, replacing Andrii Hnatov, a close Syrsky ally."}],[{"start":68.35,"text":"Drapatyi, 43, was previously in charge of Ukraine’s ground forces and joint forces command. He is one of the country’s best-known battlefield commanders. Skybiuk, 49, is a former air assault forces commander who Zelenskyy described as “a highly experienced officer who defended Ukraine shoulder to shoulder with the new commander-in-chief”."}],[{"start":88.3,"text":"Both men are recipients of the Hero of Ukraine — the highest state honour that can be conferred on a Ukrainian citizen by the president — and belong to a younger generation of officers shaped by the war with Russia rather than by the Soviet military."}],[{"start":103.6,"text":"Drapatyi said Zelenskyy had set clear tasks for the two men: “to continue and intensify offensive actions in all domains, plan new operations behind enemy lines, develop the army and its technologies, and increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”."}],[{"start":119.05,"text":"Zelenskyy paid tribute to Syrsky, saying he had “ensured Ukraine’s results in the defence of Kyiv” and other major operations into Russia. On Wednesday, he said that Syrsky and Hnatov would continue serving Ukraine in new roles, without specifying what those would be."}],[{"start":134.85,"text":"Zelenskyy is seeking to contain a backlash that has shaken public trust in his wartime leadership, which was sparked by his surprise decision to oust Fedorov, credited by many with turning the tide of the war."}],[{"start":147.25,"text":"The choice of a commander-in-chief nearly two decades younger than the Russian-born and Soviet-trained Syrsky, 60, also signalled Zelenskyy’s readiness to accept a generational shift in the armed forces as Kyiv adapts its strategy after more than four years of full-scale war with Russia."}],[{"start":166.45,"text":"Western defence officials told the FT they were happy with the new appointments."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":171.39999999999998,"text":"Zelenskyy last week fired Fedorov, his civilian defence minister, after a deepening rift between him and Syrsky became untenable."}],[{"start":179.49999999999997,"text":"The president had offered Fedorov a senior role within Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council with direct access to the president and a mandate to oversee defence innovation and military reform, according to people familiar with the situation."}],[{"start":193.84999999999997,"text":"But a senior Ukrainian official and two other people familiar with the situation said that Fedorov wanted only to return to the defence ministry."}],[{"start":202.44999999999996,"text":"On Tuesday, Fedorov congratulated Drapatyi on his promotion to commander-in-chief. “This is a breath of fresh air and new hope in the struggle. It is the voice of change that could not go unheard,” he said."}],[{"start":215.49999999999997,"text":"Drapatyi emerged as a leading contender for the top job after Zelenskyy began interviewing potential successors for Syrsky over the weekend, according to people familiar with the discussions."}],[{"start":228.09999999999997,"text":"He spent days locked in meetings with military commanders and political advisers as he sought to navigate a crisis many viewed as his own making."}],[{"start":236.84999999999997,"text":"Drapatyi first came to national prominence during the 2014 battle for Mariupol after footage of his fighting vehicle smashing through a Russia-backed separatist barricade circulated widely online."}],[{"start":250.49999999999997,"text":"He later led his battalion out of an encirclement near the Russian border during fighting in the Donbas and went on to command the 58th Motorised Infantry Brigade, the Kharkiv and Luhansk operational groups and Ukraine’s ground forces."}],[{"start":266.15,"text":"“Serving Ukraine has always been an honour for me,” Drapatyi said on Facebook on Tuesday, adding he would “work responsibly, focused and with respect for the people who are defending our state”."}],[{"start":278.59999999999997,"text":"Drapatyi helped stabilise the front after Russia’s offensive in the north-eastern Kharkiv region in 2024. As ground forces commander, he promoted reforms to recruitment and training, expanded the use of wartime innovations and sought to root out corruption and improve combat readiness."}],[{"start":297.65,"text":"He resigned just over a year ago after a Russian strike at a training ground in Dnipropetrovsk region killed 12 soldiers and injured some 60 others, saying commanders should be held accountable for failures. "}],[{"start":310.7,"text":"“Drapatyi’s decision to submit his resignation . . . demonstrated his leadership qualities,” said Rob Lee, a military analyst and senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute."}],[{"start":321.5,"text":"“His emphasis on accountability and encouraging initiative will have a positive effect across the military.”"}],[{"start":336.25,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1784767349_9766.mp3"}