President Volodymyr Zelensky is actively weighing the dismissal of Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, according to Western diplomatic sources in Kyiv and officials close to the presidential administration. The deliberations, first reported by the Financial Times, follow three days of street protests in Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa that began as a show of support for the sacked defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, and have since coalesced around demands for Syrskyi’s removal. Zelensky is expected to hold meetings with senior military commanders over the weekend of 18–19 July to assess the frontline situation and interview potential successors, with a decision contingent on finding a candidate who can ensure a smooth transfer of authority without compromising defensive lines along the 1,200-kilometre front.

Fedorov’s abrupt dismissal on 15 July laid bare a deep strategic rift within Ukraine’s military leadership. In his first public remarks after leaving office, the former minister accused Syrskyi of blocking technological modernisation, tolerating corruption and pursuing a static, attrition-based doctrine reliant on mass mobilisation and holding ground at all costs. Fedorov, who had championed drone warfare, automation and integration with NATO standards, claimed Syrskyi had issued an ultimatum against their continued cooperation. Western defence officials in Kyiv, who had worked closely with Fedorov on joint procurement and reform programmes, described his departure as a shock. The protests that erupted the following day initially demanded his reinstatement, but demonstrators soon broadened their slogans to call for the general’s ouster, chanting “Ukraine is Europe” and “Power is the people.” Inside the Verkhovna Rada, lawmakers have begun collecting the 226 signatures required to submit a formal appeal to Zelensky urging Syrskyi’s dismissal on grounds of professional effectiveness.

The stand-off carries immediate institutional consequences. Fedorov had finalised agreements with the European Commission and the European Defence Agency just before his removal, opening the way for Ukrainian firms to participate in joint production and testing programmes with companies from six EU member states. European diplomats in Brussels have privately expressed concern that the continuity of those arrangements now hangs in the balance. For Zelensky, the political calculus is equally delicate. Ukrainian political analysts note that Syrskyi, unlike his popular predecessor Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has no independent political ambitions and low public standing, making him a reliable instrument for maintaining presidential control over the armed forces. Dismissing him could satisfy street pressure and Western calls for reform, but it would also remove a commander who has consistently executed the president’s directives without challenging his authority.

The weekend consultations with brigade commanders are being described by sources in the presidential administration as informal auditions. Zelensky has signalled he is prepared to act if a credible replacement emerges, but the search for a figure who can both stabilise the military command and reassure Ukraine’s Western backers remains open. The dossier is expected to move quickly once the meetings conclude, with a final decision possible in the coming days, though the president’s office has not set a public deadline.