Ukraine army chief expected to lose job amid five days of protests in Kyiv

Ukraine's commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, is widely expected to lose his job after five days of protests outside the presidential office in Kyiv. The demonstrations have grown into a public challenge to the country's military leadership, with thousands of people chanting for Syrskyi to go. The reported shake-up comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces pressure to respond to unrest inside a country still fighting a full-scale war.

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The general staff said on Monday that reports of an imminent dismissal were not true and that Syrskyi and his deputy, Andriy Hnatov, were continuing their duties. It added that removal from those posts can only happen by presidential decree. Despite that denial, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, suggested the government had heard the public mood and said the situation was being handled professionally and constructively.

He also urged calm, warning that Ukraine's adversaries were watching internal disputes closely. The protests began last Thursday after Zelenskyy dismissed the young and popular defence minister, Mykhailo Federov. Federov, who is 35, was seen as a moderniser and was credited with improving Ukraine's battlefield position during his six months in office.

After his removal, he accused Syrskyi of blocking reforms with bureaucratic obstacles and of ignoring data while favouring brigades loyal to him personally. The row has now widened from a ministerial dismissal into a broader dispute over military leadership and decision-making. The possible departure of Syrskyi matters because the army chief is one of the most important figures in Ukraine's wartime command structure.

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Any change at the top of the armed forces can affect morale, coordination and public confidence at a time when the country is under sustained military pressure. The protests also show that domestic political tensions can quickly intersect with military affairs, especially when public trust in leadership is being tested. In wartime, even internal disputes can have wider consequences for how the state presents unity to allies and to its own population.

The reported tensions also reflect the importance of personal relationships inside Ukraine's leadership. Zelenskyy confirmed last week that the relationship between Federov and Syrskyi had broken down, suggesting the dispute was already well advanced before the protests escalated. One source in the armed forces said Syrskyi's fate had already been decided, though the question of who might replace him remained open.

That source said any successor would need to be both popular and experienced, while also avoiding open political ambitions. What remains unclear is whether Zelenskyy will formally dismiss Syrskyi and, if so, who would take over the post. The general staff's denial means no official change has yet been announced, and the president has not publicly confirmed a reshuffle.

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