Mykhailo Drapatyi Appointed Ukraine's New Commander-in-Chief: A Battle-Hardened General Takes Command
President Zelensky appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief after a political crisis, replacing General Oleksandr Syrskyi. Drapatyi, the youngest commander-in-chief in Ukraine's history, is known for his combat experience and for taking responsibility for military losses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 21 the appointment of General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, replacing General Oleksandr Syrskyi. The decision came amid a political crisis after dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov accused Syrskyi of scheming and blocking military reforms. Protests broke out in Kyiv and other major cities in support of Fedorov, with demonstrators also demanding Syrskyi's removal.
Drapatyi, 43, was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khmelnytskyi region. He studied at the Kharkiv Institute of Tank Troops and began his career in the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade. During the 2014 war in Donbas, his battalion fought in Mariupol and later participated in an operation near Izvaryne, where Ukrainian forces were encircled. Drapatyi chose to fight his way out rather than accept a "green corridor," a decision later validated by the Ilovaisk tragedy.
After Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Drapatyi commanded the Operational Command South, defending Kryvyi Rih. From August to November, he led the counteroffensive that liberated Kherson. In February 2024, he became deputy chief of the General Staff, later commanding the Kharkiv operational-tactical grouping, halting the Russian offensive. He was appointed commander of the Ground Forces in late November 2024.
In early summer 2025, Drapatyi resigned after a Russian Iskander missile strike killed 12 soldiers during exercises in the Sumy region. He took full responsibility, stating, "I didn't push hard enough, didn't persuade, didn't change the way we treat the individual in the ranks." Two days later, he was appointed head of the Joint Forces Command.
During the crisis, Drapatyi openly supported Fedorov, who had clashed with Syrskyi. A poll found that 55% of Ukrainians supported Syrskyi's removal, while 72% opposed Fedorov's dismissal. Drapatyi has already appointed Major General Ihor Skibiuk as chief of the General Staff. Former commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny, now Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, said Drapatyi faces a very hard task but "a person of honor has no idol." Fedorov called him "a breath of fresh air and a new source of hope."
