Ukraine overhauls its military top brass for the fight against Russia

KYIV, Ukraine, July 23 ------ Ukraine pushed on with its fight against Russia's invasion under new military leadership after President Volodymyr Zelensky bowed to public pressure and fired his commander-in-chief. Ukraine has made significant progress in the war this year, and a rift between the country's outgoing army chief and its defense minister threatened to derail its efforts. Both men lost their jobs following Zelensky's major government reshuffle last week.

The top-level changes late Tuesday were intended to draw a line under an unwelcome spasm of political turmoil that lasted almost a week and prompted rejoicing in Russia. It was not clear whether Zelensky's measures would achieve that goal.

The new army chief, 43-year-old Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, belongs to a new generation of Ukrainian generals who have come up through the ranks during the battle against Russian aggression. He became known for his daring and courage in 2014, the year that Russia seized and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula — eight years before Moscow's all-out invasion.

Zelensky said Drapatyi and other commanders must present an updated defense strategy, including continued reform of the corps system, faster weapon and drone deliveries, stronger air defense against Russian strikes and a clearer mobilization plan. Russia says the changes in Kyiv won't alter the front line. There is no sign that the two countries are any closer to a peace settlement, despite U.S.-led diplomatic efforts.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday that Moscow is sticking to its previous demands. They include Kyiv withdrawing its forces from the four eastern regions that Russia has seized but doesn't fully control, renouncing any aspirations to NATO membership and sharply cutting the size of its army. Peskov told reporters that the Ukrainian political and military changes reflect strains in Kyiv. "Kyiv's regime is trembling from within. It can be seen with the naked eye," Peskov said. Nor will the top-level alterations change the front line, he told reporters, claiming that Russian forces are on the offensive. With the war's roughly 1,250-kilometer (800-mile) front line mostly off-limits to independent observers, Russia and Ukraine have also engaged in a propaganda battle.

Fedorov's future is still uncertain

Zelensky met separately Tuesday with outgoing defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy entrepreneur credited with swiftly developing Ukraine's drone technology that has given it a battlefield edge. Fedorov locked horns with outgoing commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, a 60-year-old veteran trained in the Soviet Union before Ukraine's independence.

Street protests in Kyiv and other cities demanded Fedorov's return, viewing him as a key military modernizer, and urged Zelensky to fire Syrskyi, regarded as part of the old guard. The demonstrations looked set to continue on Friday, despite Syrskyi's exit. "It is good that the dialogue is working. At the same time, we should not forget the protesters' second demand — to reinstate Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister," Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a veteran and former combat medic who has emerged as an informal voice of the protests, wrote on Threads.

Zelensky offered Fedorov what he called a respected position in the government that would unify the country's technology sector. It wasn't clear if Fedorov accepted the offer -- or whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters and calm the streets. Fedorov said after his dismissal last week that he had been offered jobs by some global defense tech companies.

Fedorov supported Drapatyi's appointment, calling it a "new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice" and "a voice for change that could not go unheard." Fedorov had criticized Syrskyi publicly before his dismissal, saying the general was blocking his reform efforts and needed to be replaced for Ukraine not to fail in its resistance against Russia.

Source: mb.com.ph