Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief, following days of street protests in the most significant overhaul of the country’s military leadership since the war with Russia began.
Drapatyi, 43, replaces Oleksandr Syrskyi, 60. Widely regarded as a capable and battle-tested commander, Drapatyi led Ukraine’s land forces from 2024 to 2025 and is seen as a representative of a new generation of military leadership.
Last week, Zelenskyy’s government reshuffle and dismissal of tech-savvy reformist Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, after just half a year in office, stirred concerns among analysts that Ukraine’s recent battlefield momentum could be lost.
Ukraine has been trying to gain the upper hand in the war by heavily striking Russia’s energy sector – its main source of budget revenue – and logistics.
The surprise government reshuffle last week led to a political crisis that exposed weaknesses in Ukraine’s domestic governing due to the lack of elections during the war.
Drapatyi Seen As Voice Of Change
Drapatyi’s appointment follows days of protests sparked by what critics said were poorly explained changes in government, and reflects the position of Ukrainians who see the use of technology as key to winning the war. His career was shaped fighting Russian troops for more than a decade.
Syrskyi played a key role in Kyiv’s defence in the early days of the war and has been in his post since early 2024.
But he has also faced harsh criticism for a rigid command style which some service members have said resulted in unjustifiably high troop losses.
Syrskyi’s Exit Reflects Growing Divisions
Voices against him have surfaced periodically, but last week’s reshuffle brought out into the open the deep divisions in the Ukrainian defence leadership.
Critics had accused Zelenskyy of favouring Syrskyi over Fedorov in a conflict between the two, and analysts questioned whether Ukraine could win the war, now well into its fifth year, under Syrskyi’s leadership.
Fedorov, whose return to office was one of the protesters’ main demands, welcomed the appointment.
Fedorov’s fate remained unclear. Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he offered him a “decent post” to oversee the technological component of the state, but the former minister has previously said that he only wants his old job back.
Last week, Zelenskyy chose Yevhenii Khmara, who was acting head of Ukraine’s domestic security service, to become acting defence minister.
(With inputs from Reuters)
