Activists holding banners and flags protest the resignation of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhail Fedorov for the fifth day in a row during a rally near the monument to Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko in Lviv, Ukraine, July 20, 2026.
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has moved to replace military commander-in-chief Oleksandr Shirsky, bringing him back into power just days after firing the country’s former defense minister.
The appointment comes after nearly a week of nationwide unrest and marks one of the biggest political crises since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
In a late-night televised speech on Tuesday, President Zelensky said he was appointing Mykhail Drapati as the new supreme commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, thanking the outgoing leader for his key role in defending Kiev early in the war.
“The operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are ongoing and must continue without disruption. Ukraine’s long-term sanctions plan and medium-scale strike plan will be carried out with absolute precision,” Zelensky said, according to a translation.
President Drapati thanked Mr. Zelensky and paid tribute to Mr. Shirsky’s achievements in strengthening the country’s armed forces. “I will work responsibly, focused and with respect for those who protect our country today,” Drapati said in a Facebook post.
The Ukrainian president also said he had met with former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and offered him “a valuable leadership position that will allow us to combine our technological capabilities and ensure continued development.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (right) and Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov (left) heading to a joint conference in Brussels, Belgium, on February 12, 2026.
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Fedorov, a popular figure and seen as a champion of Ukraine’s drone war, was removed last week in a surprise move that sparked protests in several Ukrainian cities.
The protests continued for a fifth straight day on Monday, with demonstrators holding placards and waving flags as part of a campaign to demand that President Zelenskiy reinstate Mr. Fedorov and remove Mr. Shirsky.
In a social media post, Fedorov congratulated Drapati on his appointment as supreme commander of Ukraine’s armed forces.
“This is a breath of fresh air and a new source of hope in the fight of free peoples for freedom and justice. This is a voice of change that can no longer be ignored,” Fedorov said via X.
Ukraine, which has built up drone production and capabilities over more than four years of war, has stepped up attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and military assets, targeting high-profile oil refineries in major cities, as part of a continued push to raise the economic costs of the Russian conflict and weaken Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
Defense experts and strategists describe Ukraine’s drone campaign as critical to stalling Russia’s military momentum, while warning that the successful Kiev barrage greatly increases the risk of escalation.
