Ukraine’s Top General Becomes a Target of Protesters’ Anger
Demonstrators supporting Ukraine’s ousted defense minister have begun denouncing the commander he clashed with in office, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. People in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Thursday protesting President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to oust Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had championed drone warfare. Credit... Jędrzej Nowicki for The New York Times By Andrew E. Kramer and Cassandra Vinograd Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine The New York Times July 18, 2026 Updated 4:40 p.m. ET/ article contains many links Protesters who have taken to the streets this week in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, over a shake-up in military leadership have begun to focus their anger on one man in particular: Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the army’s top commander. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country in 2022, Ukrainian protesters had not denounced the military’s senior leadership. But on Friday, thousands of people in central Kyiv openly mocked General Syrskyi. Some held derogatory signs depi...