KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� One is a with no military experience who became Ukraine鈥檚 youngest defense minister six months ago and was credited with contributing to successes in defending against .
The other is a seasoned, Soviet-trained general more at home with traditional top-down command culture who led Ukraine鈥檚 armed forces.
When their personalities and policies clashed, decided one of them had to go as part of a wider He dismissed the popular young upstart, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, sparking
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy changed course again, and offering Fedorov a position in government that he said would unify the country鈥檚 technology sector. It wasn鈥檛 clear if the offer was accepted and whether the latest moves would satisfy protesters.
A look at the contrasting careers of Fedorov and
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The 35-year-old Fedorov was credited with modernizing Ukraine鈥檚 drone program and changed military procurement rules in a crackdown on corruption. He argued that the military establishment was resisting changes demanded by the evolving war with Russia.
The former tech entrepreneur drove forward Ukraine鈥檚 that has recently and has earned the , including the United States, as well as those in Europe and the Middle East.
鈥淲e transformed Ukraine into a global tech leader and a defense powerhouse,鈥� he said on social media after he lost his job last week in Zelenskyy’s government shake-up.
Fedorov also took credit for restricting Russian military access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet services.
Before becoming defense minister in January, Fedorov headed Ukraine鈥檚 digital transformation policies and introduced successful e-government platforms.
after running the digital operations of Zelenskyy鈥檚 presidential election campaign in 2019. Before that, he ran a digital marketing company.
After his dismissal, Fedorov publicly accused Syrskyi of blocking military reforms and insisting on a traditional command culture. That criticism echoed complaints from soldiers and veterans over heavy casualties in costly front-line assaults.
Appearing at a news conference in a dark T-shirt and jeans, Fedorov accused Syrskyi of blocking reforms needed because 鈥渢he war has changed completely鈥� due to new technology.
The Soviet-trained general dubbed 鈥榯he Butcher鈥�
Protesters framed Fedorov鈥檚 removal as an example of Zelenskyy siding in the feud with an entrenched military old guard over a modernizer.
Syrskyi, 60, was born when Ukraine was still part of the USSR. He attended Moscow Higher Military Command School and served in the Soviet Artillery Corps. He has long been associated with a Soviet-style, top-down command culture.
He played a key role in some of Ukraine鈥檚 biggest victories in its war, overseeing the successful defense of Kyiv in the early days of the invasion in February 2022. Seven months later, Syrskyi was credited with orchestrating the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region, one of the most significant Ukrainian victories in the war.
鈥淚鈥檓 not fighting the (defense) ministry. I鈥檓 fighting Russia,鈥� Syrskyi said in a column published Monday in the Ukrainian military outlet Militarnyi that defended his conduct.
鈥淭he General Staff has never opposed the ministry 鈥� we have cooperated and will keep cooperating with whichever minister the state appoints. Because in the army, you don鈥檛 get to choose who you serve with. In the army, you follow orders and do your job,鈥� he said.
Within the military, Syrskyi earned the nickname of 鈥淏utcher,鈥� a label that gained wider currency during his command of the ill-fated defense of , one of the war鈥檚 longest battles that killed tens of thousands of people.
His reputation took another hit after the Ukrainian outlet Babel published an investigation last month detailing allegations of abuse within the Skelia assault regiment, a unit closely associated with Syrskyi. It reportedly has suffered higher-than-average losses. The investigation documented dozens of deaths among recruits.
The ouster brings protests in Ukraine, glee in Russia
The protests of Fedorov’s ouster reached into the military, with the air force鈥檚 deputy commander resigning and warning it would weaken Ukraine鈥檚 air defenses. Veterans and soldiers on leave joined the protests. Many demonstrators said they wanted a new generation of generals who would prioritize preserving soldiers鈥� lives.
The stakes are high for Zelenskyy. The outcry appeared to leave him open to accusations that by ousting Fedorov, he was trying to get rid of a possible political rival. The episode threatened to undermine his authority and likely led to his decision to dismiss Syrskyi in a major turnaround Tuesday.
Russian war bloggers responded to Fedorov鈥檚 dismissal with glee, noting his role in masterminding long-range drone strikes on oil facilities that have caused a fuel crisis and midrange attacks that disrupted military logistics.
Syrskyi, some noted with grudging respect, has built a string of defenses that have stalled Russian advances.
Many Moscow commentators voiced hope that the controversy would fuel political infighting in Ukraine and weaken its military.
鈥斺赌�
Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.
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