President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Tuesday, sacked Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

His dismissal came days after Mr Zelensky fired Ukraine’s defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, a decision that sparked protests across the country.

Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, the commander of the Joint Forces, appeared to side with Mr Fedorov in a public statement.

“Silence does not protect the army; it only allows mistakes to accumulate,” he said.

Col. Pavlo Yelizarov, a deputy commander of the Air Force, tendered his resignation, saying Mr Fedorov’s removal was “a great blow to the country’s defence.”

Also, Kyrylo Budanov, the former intelligence chief who is now the head of the president’s office, said in a statement that the situation is being handled professionally.

“The situation is being resolved professionally, constructively and in the interests of our state,” he said, urging everyone to remain calm.

“The enemy is closely watching every one of our internal disagreements and is waiting for us to start fighting among ourselves. To our enemies, I say this directly: You will not live to see it,” he added.