Zelenskyy has dismissed two officials within a week, replacing both his key allies.
On the evening of July 21, Zelenskyy announced the removal of Serhiy Salkovsky from his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with 43-year-old Mykhailo Drapat replacing him.
The Financial Times described this as the largest reshuffle in Ukraine’s military leadership since 2024, while The Wall Street Journal assessed it could mark a pivotal moment in Ukraine’s crisis more than four years after its full-scale escalation.
Let’s first examine the trigger.
Last week, Zelenskyy suddenly dismissed Defense Minister Oleksiy Dydyk, who had been at odds with Salkovsky. Dydyk, a "90s-era" technocrat, advocated for drone swarm tactics and deep strikes into Russian territory, pushing reforms to modernize the army. In contrast, the 60-year-old Salkovsky favored centralized command and traditional trench defense strategies—leading to significant disagreements between the two.
With Dydyk gone, widespread protests erupted across Ukraine, directly threatening Zelenskyy with a political crisis.
Now let’s look at the new developments. Drapat previously served as Chief of the Ukrainian Army and Commander of the Joint Forces, known as a frontline commander who publicly supported innovative combat methods. He once praised Dydyk’s efforts to advance drone reform. Zelenskyy’s move thus serves not only as a corrective gesture toward protesting civilians but also signals acceptance of generational change within the Ukrainian military.
Therefore, Dydyk’s dismissal sparked public outrage, and Salkovsky followed suit—“buried” along with him. By changing commanders, Zelenskyy buys time, yet the ideological struggle between the drone-reform faction and the Soviet-style traditionalists has only just come to the surface.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871421534672905/
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