This Is Why

Why has Zelenskyy sacked Ukraine’s most senior defence figures?

July 22, 2026·19 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

It's not just Andy Burnham who's been purging politicians from government.There's a wartime power struggle in Ukraine, where Volodymyr Zelenskyy ousted his top army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi – before trying to bring the country's former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov back into government, just days after dismissing him.The sacking of Fedorov led to almost a week of nationwide unrest and represents one of the biggest political crises since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.So, what does all this mean for Ukraine's ongoing struggle for survival? Niall Paterson is joined by Sky's military analyst Professor Michael Clarke.Have you got a question for Niall? Email us: why@sky.uk

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