Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, days after the removal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov sparked street protests.

Syrskyi, 60, a Soviet-school commander seen as resistant to change, defended his record on Telegram: "An army fighting a difficult defensive campaign two years ago is now on the offensive." He was replaced by Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, a battle-hardened general.

Fedorov, 35, was ousted last week after a brief stint as defence minister - appointed only in January - but earned praise for using data to improve front-line performance, launching the volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine" for cyber-attacks, and creating the "Army of Drones" fundraising campaign with gamification elements. His removal triggered six days of protests, pressuring Zelensky to sack Syrskyi.

Zelensky offered Fedorov a "worthy position in power" but didn't say if it was accepted. Meanwhile, Fedorov endorsed Drapatyi, calling his appointment "new hope in the fight of free people for freedom and justice." Acting Defence Minister Yevhenii Khmara remains in place, tasked with crafting a new defence strategy with Drapatyi.

Syrskyi wrote an op-ed apologizing to Fedorov: "If I offended anyone, Mykhailo Albertovych, I'm sorry." He added, "Decisions on which people's lives depend are not made with slogans."

Protesters still want Fedorov back in authority. If Zelensky delivers, damage may be repaired - but many won't forgive him for making what they saw as the wrong choice initially.