Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced the most significant reshuffle in the country's military leadership since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, appointing Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who had held the position since February 2024, has been dismissed. The decision followed several days of large-scale protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, where demonstrators demanded not only the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov but also a change in the country's military leadership.

Announcing the appointment, President Zelensky stated that Ukraine would continue its strategy of increasing pressure on Russia both along the front line and through strikes on military and logistical infrastructure deep inside Russian territory. According to the president, the new commander’s primary mission will be to enhance the effectiveness of the Armed Forces during the prolonged war and further adapt Ukraine’s military to the realities of modern warfare.

At 43, Mykhailo Drapatyi is widely regarded as one of Ukraine’s most respected next-generation military commanders. He first gained national recognition during the 2014 battles for Mariupol and later commanded defensive operations in southern and eastern Ukraine, including the Kryvyi Rih, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions. Throughout the war, Drapatyi has built a reputation as an advocate of mission-oriented command, military modernization, and the extensive use of unmanned systems on the battlefield. Many Ukrainian military analysts had long identified him as one of the leading candidates to assume the country's highest military post should a change in command occur.

It is worth noting that Oleksandr Syrskyi became Commander-in-Chief following the dismissal of Valerii Zaluzhnyi in February 2024. Under his leadership, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued defensive operations while expanding long-range drone strikes against Russian military targets. However, criticism of Syrskyi gradually intensified both within the military and among the public. He was accused of an overly centralized command style, high personnel losses, and insufficiently rapid implementation of new technologies and modern combat concepts. These concerns escalated following a public dispute between Syrskyi and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was widely regarded as the driving force behind the digital transformation of Ukraine’s armed forces. Fedorov’s dismissal became the catalyst for the largest anti-government protests since the beginning of the full-scale war. Demonstrators — including active-duty servicemen, veterans, volunteers, and relatives of military personnel — called for Fedorov’s reinstatement, accelerated military reforms, and a complete overhaul of the senior military command. Following consultations with military and political leaders, Zelensky ultimately decided to replace the Commander-in-Chief.

 

Many analysts view Drapatyi’s appointment as an attempt to reboot Ukraine’s military command system without fundamentally altering the country’s overall military strategy. Over the past two years, Ukraine has increasingly relied on the mass deployment of aerial and ground drones, artificial intelligence, automated command-and-control systems, and long-range precision strike capabilities. Drapatyi has consistently advocated for accelerating the digitalization of the armed forces, reforming military training, and granting greater operational autonomy to field commanders — an approach that aligns with Kyiv’s broader strategy of achieving technological superiority over its adversary.

Experts note that the leadership change comes at a particularly challenging moment for Ukraine. Heavy fighting continues along nearly the entire front line, while Russian forces maintain pressure in the eastern theater. At the same time, Ukraine continues to carry out long-range strikes against Russian logistics hubs, air bases, and energy infrastructure. Against this backdrop, the appointment of a new Commander-in-Chief is intended not only to improve military effectiveness but also to demonstrate the political leadership’s willingness to respond to growing public demands for reform and renewal within the country's armed forces.

 

CCBS Expert Group

#ANALYSIS

#UKRAINE

22.07.2026 07:31