Zelensky weighs 11 contenders to replace Syrsky as Ukraine’s top commander
President Zelensky is reviewing 11 candidates to succeed Oleksandr Syrsky as Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, with Mykhailo Drapatyi seen as the frontrunner among contenders that also include Oleh Apostol, Volodymyr Horbatiuk, Andriy Biletsky, and Denys Prokopenko. Reports suggest Apostol may be Syrsky’s preferred pick, while Drapatyi and Biletsky were backed by Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed on July 15. Zelensky is weighing changes to Syrsky and, per Financial Times notes, may consider bringing Fedorov back in a government role (though not as defense minister, a post now held by Yevhen Khmara). The story draws on Bloomberg, Ukrainska Pravda, and the Financial Times.