Ukraine’s recent changes in military and political leadership could undermine stability during the war with Russia, Lithuania’s former army chief said, arguing that commanders and defence officials should not be replaced so frequently during active hostilities.
Retired Lt. Gen. Vytautas Jonas Žukas said President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to dismiss Ukrainian army chief Oleksandr Syrsky after days of protests in Kyiv and other cities appeared risky because leadership changes require time for new officials to understand battlefield conditions and implement plans.
“I am an opponent of such sudden moves,” Žukas said in an interview on LRT TV’s Topic of the Day programme Wednesday night. “When governments, ministers and army commanders are changed at the same time, stability suffers and ongoing programs can be disrupted.”
Ukraine appointed Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapaty, a former commander of the Joint Forces, as the new army chief after Syrsky’s dismissal. The change came amid broader political turmoil following Zelensky’s decision to remove Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that sparked public criticism.
Analysts believe Fedorov, a popular reformer minister, was dismissed due to his strained relations with Syrsky. The dismissal sparked protests in Kyiv and other cities, leading to Syrsky’s dismissal.
Žukas said he did not know the underlying political reasons for the changes but suggested Zelensky may have made a mistake by allowing the dispute to escalate.
“In wartime, especially during active fighting, you need to look for compromises,” he said. “The minister and the army commander must understand how serious the situation is and find common solutions.”
The former Lithuanian commander said tensions appeared to have centred partly on differences over Ukraine’s military modernisation. He noted that Fedorov had become popular because of efforts to expand drone production and increase drone strikes against targets deep inside Russia.
“Many people in Ukraine associate this breakthrough with the new minister’s arrival,” Žukas said.
He argued that if the conflict between political and military leaders could not be resolved, Zelensky should have replaced both officials rather than removing only the defence minister initially and later dismissing Syrsky following public pressure.
Žukas said the episode marked another instance in which Zelensky had responded to public pressure, referring to earlier protests over changes involving Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions.
“Now dismissing people again and starting everything from the beginning creates instability,” he said.
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