„Chmara has gained extensive and in many respects unprecedented experience in technological combat operations,“ wrote V. Zelensky in his post on the social network „Facebook“, where he announced his decision.
Earlier on Thursday, large protests erupted in several Ukrainian cities against the dismissal of popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. He was appointed six months ago to digitize and modernize the army, exhausted by more than four years of fighting against the Russian invasion.
Forced to resign, M. Fedorov accused Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi of dividing the country.
„Instead of figuring out how to asymmetrically defeat Russia – which is the task of the top commander – he came up with how to divide the country,“ M. Fedorov told journalists.
He criticized slow bureaucracy and lack of flexibility and questioned whether Ukraine can defeat Russia while the army is led by O. Syrskyi.
„In this configuration, I personally do not know how to win the war,“ he said.
He also said that O. Syrskyi achieved the minister’s dismissal by presenting an ultimatum to V. Zelensky after months of disagreements.
V. Zelensky himself then called for unity, although he admitted that both sides – the Defense Ministry and the military leadership – barely communicate.
Read more The Spanish court confirmed that the prime minister’s wife will be tried in a corruption case
