ALBAWABA - As the protests in Ukraine continue following the firing of popular defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Zelenskyy has fired Fedorov’s rival and Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and offered Fedorov a ‘prominent position in government’.
June marks worst month of the war for Ukraine as Russian invasion drags on with no end in sightThe move comes amid turbulent military and government reshuffles in Ukraine, Fedorov is known as a reformer within the Ukrainian high command, something which put him at odds with the former commander-in-chief Syrskyi who is known as a traditionalist hardliner - leading to the former’s firing by Zelenskyy.
This caused widespread protests across Ukraine, the protests culminated in the firing of Syrskyi and in giving his job to Mykhailo Drapatyi, Fedorov's longtime ally and fellow reformer, in addition to offering Fedorov himself a ‘prominent position’ in his government.
“We have come a long way. The defence of Ukraine continues. And every soldier deserves to be treated with respect,” Zelenskyy said, adding that he was grateful to Syrskyi’s service and to “every one of our soldiers” fighting on the frontline.
The news greatly pleased Fedorov who said:
“This brings a breath of fresh air and new hope to the struggle of free people for freedom and justice. It is a voice for change that could not be ignored,” he said.
He added: “The high expectations of the Ukrainian people must be met with a clear vision for ending the war for independence, a strong team and decisive actions aimed at saving the lives of our soldiers, automating the frontline, delivering asymmetric strikes and crippling the Russian economy.”
It is still unclear what exactly is the position offered to Fedorov; his former position as defense minister has been filled by Yevhen Khmara, a former special operations commander.
Zelenskyy stated that Fedorov’s new position in government would “enable him to unify the technological sector of our state and ensure its development,” without giving further details.
