Veterans Issue Ultimatum: Remove Syrskyi and Appoint Fedorov as Defense Minister.

Veteran-Led Protest Demands Military Leadership Overhaul

According to Espreso.tv: Dmytro Kozyatynskyi, a former combat medic, has publicly demanded the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the appointment of Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defense. The protesters are waiting for a decision on these demands by Friday.

Kozyatynskyi warned that if the required steps are not taken by the deadline, daily protests will follow. He emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that society is pushing for immediate change. This movement reflects growing discontent among veterans and active military personnel regarding current leadership.

“If the necessary decisions that society demands are not made by Friday, people will take to the streets every day” - Dmytro Kozyatynskyi

Scale of the Demonstrations

Rallies are taking place in multiple cities across Ukraine, including:

• Kyiv
• Lviv
• Zaporizhzhia
• Kharkiv
• Mykolaiv
• Chernivtsi
• Cherkasy
• Ternopil
• Poltava
• Kropyvnytskyi
• Lutsk

Protests are also being held abroad, notably in Warsaw. Kozyatynskyi reported that his battalion commander, Serhii Filimonov, received a formal reprimand from Syrskyi, which the veteran claims could destabilize the Armed Forces.

Demonstrators are calling for a swift government response, arguing that action on their demands is critical for the country's future trajectory. The unrest highlights deeper issues within Ukraine's military command structure, potentially affecting combat readiness and troop morale. Authorities now face the challenge of addressing public demands while maintaining stability in the nation's defense hierarchy.