Ukraine's Zelensky fires top general Syrsky amid public protests

Also on the daily podcast: American police killings and Japanese haunted houses

Jul 22nd 2026 | 1 min read

Listen to this podcast

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrsky. The move follows days of protests over his sacking of the defence minister. Our correspondent analyses the fallout.

America’s murder rate is falling, so why are police killings rising? And a shift in the Japanese taboo on living in homes where people have died.

Runtime: 21 min

Guests and Host

• Shashank Joshi, defence editor
• Daniel Knowles, US Midwest correspondent
• Moeka Iida, East Asia reporter
• Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence

Topics Covered

• Fedorov, Syrsky, Zelensky, Ukraine
• Police killings, gun crime, murder
• Japan, haunted houses, jiko bukken

Episode Summary

In recent weeks, Ukraine and Russia have been pounding each other with vengeance. On Sunday, Kyiv suffered one of the biggest ballistic attacks of the war, a five-hour assault. Ukraine has responded with strikes in Crimea and used drones to hit giant warehouses in Russian cities.

But this week, the conflict came home to Ukraine in a different way, with a cabinet reshuffle that has provoked outrage among ordinary Ukrainians. It is a sign of a deep domestic political battle—and the question is whether it could trigger an even more significant one.

Shashank Joshi: "Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has just fired his top military general, Oleksandr Syrsky—a very controversial figure in the army. This came after days of public protests calling for Syrsky’s sacking, but also calling for the return of the Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed last week in a cabinet reshuffle. I think what’s at stake here is the very ethos of the Ukrainian military and the nature of its war effort."

Rosie Blau: "Shashank, this seems like a really weird situation. You’ve got a country at war and massive changes at the top of its military and defence structure. You’ve also got a cabinet reshuffle bringing people onto the streets. Let’s start at the beginning. What’s going on and why did Fedorov leave?"

Shashank Joshi: "Fedorov was appointed as defence minister at the very beginning of this year, and he was previously minister of digital transformation. He was a young, very well-regarded minister among Ukraine’s allies."

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

Transcript

Converted by AI

This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us.

Read more about how we are using AI.