Ukraine’s New Commander-in-Chief: Mykhailo Drapatyi Takes Over Amid Military Shakeup
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing General Oleksandr Syrskyi. The appointment, announced on Tuesday, comes amid a broader military reshuffle that has sparked both public protests and hopes for reform.
Drapatyi, 43, is the third commander-in-chief since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. His nomination has been welcomed by both civil society and the military, according to reports from the BBC and Deutsche Welle. One Ukrainian soldier told the BBC, “There’s no better person for this position nowadays in Ukraine.”
A Battle-Hardened Commander
Drapatyi’s rise to the top military post is rooted in years of frontline experience. He graduated from the Kharkiv Institute of Tank Troops in 2004 and served as a lieutenant. In May 2014, during the early stages of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, he gained nationwide fame when footage showed his infantry fighting vehicle smashing through a barricade in Mariupol to free hostages held by pro-Russian separatists. The video went viral, and Drapatyi later recalled the moment in an interview: “I said, let’s take it by storm. This video flew around the world.”
Later that year, he was commended for withdrawing encircled Ukrainian units from the Luhansk region. He returned to university in 2021 for further operational and strategic training and was presented with a sword of honour as top graduate by the British ambassador.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Drapatyi served as deputy commander of joint forces. He led temporary task forces in several frontline areas, successfully pushing back Russian advances towards Kryvyi Rih and liberating settlements in the Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
The Context: A Military Shakeup
The appointment follows an unexpected cabinet reshuffle last week, in which many ministers retained their posts under new Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi, but Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was removed. According to reports from Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle, Fedorov had a major disagreement with then-commander-in-chief Syrskyi about the strategic direction of Ukraine’s war effort.
The dismissal of the popular defence minister sparked mass protests, with demonstrators demanding Fedorov’s return and Syrskyi’s dismissal. Drapatyi was the only general who publicly defended Fedorov after his ouster. In a Facebook post, Drapatyi called Fedorov’s appointment six months earlier “a serious attempt to change conditions in the military system that were in place for years.” He added that the Defence Ministry had developed into a true partner for the army, with a new willingness to listen to commanders and make quicker decisions.
While Syrskyi has now been replaced, Fedorov will not return. Zelenskyy has appointed Yevhen Khmara, former head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), as the new defence minister.
Ahead: Reforms and Challenges
President Zelenskyy wants Drapatyi to develop a modern defence strategy and continue the recently launched military reforms, according to reports from Deutsche Welle and Al Jazeera. Drapatyi’s reputation for personal accountability and moral responsibility has been praised by soldiers and officials alike.
However, Drapatyi faces significant challenges. He will need to mobilize manpower, tackle corruption, and capitalize on Ukraine’s technological advances, as noted in some reports. One report also quotes Drapatyi as having argued that Russia should not exist in its current form, reflecting his hardline stance on the war.
The transition marks a pivotal moment for Ukraine’s military leadership as the war with Russia continues. Both civil society and the military have voiced hope that Drapatyi’s frontline experience and reformist approach will bring the change Ukraine’s armed forces need.