Section: The Centre for Eastern Studies (Poland)
Change of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
On 21 July, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the dismissal of General Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and the appointment of General Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces, to replace him (see the profile in the Appendix). The reshuffle came against the backdrop of protests that began...
Ukraine: new government overshadowed by a controversial dismissal
On 16 July, the Verkhovna Rada approved Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister by a majority of 289 votes and confirmed the composition of his cabinet. The new government reversed the merger of two ‘super-ministries’. The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agricultural Policy was split into the Ministry of Economy, headed by Oleksandr...
Zelensky vs Fedorov: Ukraine’s Defence Minister dismissed
On 15 July, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov would not be part of the new government. The government reshuffle and the allegedly slow implementation of reforms to the mobilisation system served as the pretext for dismissing the highly popular minister. However, the president cited Fedorov’s...
Ukraine deals a blow against shipping in the Sea of Azov. Day 1602 of the war
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Ankara summit: Europe’s mobilisation for NATO 3.0
At the NATO summit in Ankara (7–8 July), Europe and Canada presented President Donald Trump with a significant increase in defence spending, new military procurements and industrial investments. They also expressed their readiness to assume primary responsibility for the security of the Euro-Atlantic area and the defence of Europe under the NATO...
Russia: the government is powerless in the face of the fuel crisis
Since the end of May, Russia has been experiencing a fuel crisis marked by physical shortages of fuel across most regions of the country, accompanied by rising prices for petrol and diesel. This disruption – considered the most severe in the fuel sector since the establishment of the Russian Federation – directly results from ongoing Ukrainian...
A crack in the “Skelya”: Disciplinary and reputational damage in the so-called Syrskyi regiments
On 25 June, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) suspended Yuriy Harkavyi, commander of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skelya” (“Rock”), from his duties. The decision followed the opening, a day earlier, of an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation into allegations, uncovered by journalists from Babel...
Ukraine’s Parliament adopts the Law on the National Pantheon
On 1 July, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Law on the National Pantheon, which had been submitted by the President of Ukraine two days earlier. Parliament fast-tracked the bill, which passed with 287 votes in favour, with no votes against and no abstentions. The vote was accompanied by an emotional debate, reflecting patriotic sentiment and broad...
Ukraine and Moldova launch EU accession negotiations
On 15 June, Luxembourg hosted two EU–Ukraine and EU–Moldova Intergovernmental Conferences (IGCs), during which both countries opened the first negotiating cluster (Fundamentals). This cluster forms the backbone of the accession process: it is opened first and closed last. It encompasses the most demanding accession criteria that both countries...
A new EU security strategy in the making: high ambitions constrained by limited means
The deteriorating security environment in Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, together with tensions between the United States and NATO’s European members, has prompted EU institutions to begin work on a new strategic document – the European Security Strategy (ESS), which aims to redefine the EU’s role amid...
