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

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487/why-has-zelenskyy-sacked-ukraine-s-most-senior-defence-figures
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487/why-has-zelenskyy-sacked-ukraine-s-most-senior-defence-figures.md
Podcast: [This Is Why](https://stenobird.com/podcast/this-is-why-1011487)
Published: 2026-07-22T14:45:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.skynews.com
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/ad249c5a-f755-4ec4-ada5-3069655b0908.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=2ca7ec14-a9a8-4a0c-8b24-e04eb2953ca0&aw_0_1st.episodeid=ad249c5a-f755-4ec4-ada5-3069655b0908
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Duration seconds: 1144

## Resource

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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## Transcript

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