Military Leadership Change
President Volodymyr Zelensky fired army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, one of the largest military leadership shake-ups since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
1Global News Podcast
Zelensky Sacks Ukraine's Army Chief in Major Military Shake-up
President Volodymyr Zelensky fires commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi following clashes with Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The episode also covers France's new social media ban, a special report on an Iranian school, and updates on Venezuela.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, marking a significant leadership change since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
1Listen to the source episode
Zelensky sacks Ukraine's army chief
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Internal Political Clashes
General Syrskyi had clashed with the popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, whose removal from office last week triggered rare mass protests in Ukraine.
2France Social Media Ban
France becomes the first country in the EU to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media.
3Iran School Report
A special report covers the school in Iran where 156 people, mostly children, were killed at the start of the US-Israeli war.
4Venezuela Court Proceedings
Venezuela's ousted leader Nicolás Maduro is due back in court in New York, while Venezuelans focus on rebuilding lives after earthquakes.
5Ask GenPod next
Keep the question moving.
“What are the implications of firing the army commander-in-chief for Ukraine's military strategy?”
“How does France's social media ban compare to other EU regulations?”
“What are the details of the legal action between Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly?”
Background reading
The context behind the episode.
Context
Ukraine Military Leadership
The firing of General Oleksandr Syrskyi follows clashes with Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Fedorov's own removal from office last week triggered rare mass protests in Ukraine.
2Questions
Questions to carry into the episode.
Who was fired as Ukraine's army commander-in-chief?
Oleksandr Syrskyi was fired by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
1What triggered mass protests in Ukraine last week?
The removal from office of the popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, triggered rare mass protests.
2What new social media regulation was implemented in France?
France became the first EU country to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media.
3What is the status of Nicolás Maduro's legal proceedings?
Nicolás Maduro is due back in court in New York.
5What legal action has Novo Nordisk taken against Eli Lilly?
Novo Nordisk has launched legal action against Eli Lilly, accusing it of false advertising regarding weight-loss drugs.
6Experts
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Sources and disclosure
Where this guide comes from.
This guide is based on the Global News Podcast episode published on 2026-07-22. Evidence is drawn from the supplied metadata and notes.
- Publisher show notes
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired his army commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in one of the biggest shake-ups of the country's military leadership since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
- Publisher show notes
General Syrskyi had clashed with the popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, whose own removal from office last week triggered rare mass protests in Ukraine.
- Publisher show notes
Also: France becomes the first country in the EU to ban children under the age of 15 from using social media.
- Publisher show notes
A special report from the school in Iran where 156 people, mostly children, were killed at the start of the US-Israeli war.
- Publisher show notes
As Venezuela's ousted leader Nicolás Maduro is due back in court in New York, Venezuelans tell the BBC they are too focused on trying to rebuild their lives after the earthquakes to give much thought to the criminal proceedings.
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The maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, has launched legal action against its rival Eli Lilly, accusing it of false advertising in suggesting its weight-loss drugs perform better.
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Animal welfare experts in Britain are looking after a marmoset monkey that was found abandoned in a laundry bag on a London bus.
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And we look at the new developments in sleep health technology focusing on disease prediction.
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Photo: Ukraine's President Zelensky and now former Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, visit an exhibition of new Ukrainian made drone-missiles Peklo in Kyiv. Credit: REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
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