Zelensky reviews 11 candidates to replace Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky, Bloomberg reports
Volodymyr Zelensky is reviewing a list of 11 candidates to replace Oleksandr Syrsky as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, Bloomberg sources reported.
Mykhailo Drapatyi, commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces, is considered the leading contender, Bloomberg reports. The Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda and the Financial Times also name Drapatyi among the candidates.
Others on the list include Oleh Apostol, commander of the Airborne Assault Forces; and Volodymyr Horbatiuk, deputy chief of the General Staff. Ukrainska Pravda also lists Andriy Biletsky, commander of the 3rd Army Corps; and Denys Prokopenko, commander of Ukraine’s 1st National Guard Corps, ‘Azov.’
According to Ukrainska Pravda and the Ukrainian news outlet Liga.net, Apostol is Syrsky’s preferred candidate, while Drapatyi and Biletsky were recommended for the post by Mykhailo Fedorov, the defense minister dismissed on July 15. “Most of our sources in the army are currently betting on Drapatyi’s appointment,” Ukrainska Pravda writes.
News broke on July 15 that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov would leave his post, which he had held since January 2026. His dismissal sparked protests in Ukraine that continue to this day.
Fedorov attributed his dismissal to a conflict with Oleksandr Syrsky, the armed forces commander-in-chief, triggering a wave of criticism against him. Meanwhile, Zelensky began weighing whether to dismiss the commander-in-chief he had previously refused to fire, according to media reports. Syrsky himself denies any conflict with Fedorov.
The Financial Times reports that Zelensky and his team are trying to bring Fedorov back into the government. He has been offered various posts but is willing to return only as defense minister. Zelensky has already given that position to Yevhen Khmara, who previously headed Ukraine’s Security Service.
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