Syrian to be replaced after days of protests

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Oleksandr Syrsky, is expected to be removed from his post, amid indications that Volodymyr Zelensky has caved in to pressure from protesters and will make changes to the military's top brass, The Guardian reports.

Over the past five days, thousands of protesters have gathered outside the presidential office in Kiev, chanting: "Syrians out."

The Ukrainian General Staff today denied media reports that Syrsky will soon be dismissed. It was announced that General Syrsky and his deputy Andriy Khnatov continue to perform their duties. "The dismissal from these positions is carried out on the basis of a decree of the President of Ukraine," the statement added.

Despite these denials, Zelensky's influential chief of staff, Kirill Budanov, suggested that the government had heard the public mood. "The opinion of society has been taken into account. The situation is being resolved professionally and constructively," he said, urging "everyone to remain calm."

"The enemy is closely monitoring our every internal dispute and waiting for us to start clashing with each other. The work is underway. The results will follow," he said.

The noisy protests began last Thursday after Zelensky dismissed Ukraine's young and popular Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. The 35-year-old reformer has largely been credited with improving the country's battlefield position during his six months in office.

Zelensky confirmed last week that relations between Fedorov and Syrsky had deteriorated. After his dismissal, Fedorov said Syrsky had hindered reforms with “bureaucratic obstacles” and ignored data, while rewarding brigades that were personally loyal to him.

The Guardian reports that a source in the armed forces confirmed that Sirski will soon leave his post. "His fate has been decided. The question is who will replace him. There are several important conditions. That person should be well-known and popular, so that everyone will welcome his choice," the source said.

"But he should not have overt political ambitions either, so as not to create a new rival. He should be an experienced soldier who listens to the president and acts in accordance with his wishes," the source added.

Media reports said Zelensky met with several potential successors to Syrsky today. Among the senior commanders was Mykhailo Drapatiy, the head of Ukraine's joint armed forces. The Guardian reports that Drapatiy solidified his reputation in 2014, when he broke through a pro-Russian blockade with a tank during Russia's first attempt to capture the eastern city of Mariupol.

Yevheniy Khmara, who Zelensky appointed as defense minister, also attended the meetings with top military officials. It is unclear whether Fedorov will be reinstated - one of the protesters' key demands - or will return to the government in a different position.

Protest organizers say Zelensky has until Friday to reinstate Fedorov to his previous position. If that doesn't happen, they are announcing a "general indefinite protest" in cities across the country.

Zelensky praised Ukraine's recent long-range strikes on targets in Russia. "They yielded results against logistics facilities and an oil depot. The targets were more than 400 kilometers from our border. Two tankers from the shadow fleet and four cargo ships were also hit in the Black Sea," he said.

"We respond, justly, to every Russian attack on our cities and communities. This war must end, and that can only be done by increasing pressure on the sole culprit for this war - Russia," he added.