Zelenskyy Appoints Mykhailo Drapatyi as New Commander-in-Chief

Kyiv – 23 July 2026: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces. The 43-year-old s쳮ds General Oleksandr Syrskyi, who had led the army since early 2024. The Ministry of Defence confirmed the new leadership structure on 22 July and said that Drapatyi had already coordinated the priority defence tasks with the president and the ministry.

The decision came after several days of public protests in Kyiv. The initial trigger was the dismissal of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Demonstrators had called both for his return and for Syrskyi’s replacement. On 18 July, Zelenskyy confirmed talks with Fedorov and Syrskyi and subsequently announced further decisions concerning the army’s leadership.

Drapatyi is expected to oversee the restructuring of the armed forces during a particularly tense phase of the war. According to the Ministry of Defence, improving mobilisation, training servicewomen and servicemen, expanding cyber forces and transitioning to a corps system are at the top of the agenda. The government aims to improve coordination between military units and the rest of the state structures.

Air defence is also to be expanded. Kyiv has cited the FREYJA missile defence programme as well as talks with the United States on licences for the production of Patriot systems. Joint initiatives with European partners are also among the announced priorities. These measures are intended to strengthen Ukraine’s defences against Russian missile and drone attacks.

The personnel decision is also linked to the growing importance of drones and long-range strikes. Zelenskyy recently said that the Ukrainian armed forces would continue their attacks on Russian military logistics, energy facilities and other war-related targets. On 22 July, the Ministry of Defence also spoke of continued technological pressure on Russia.

No new role for Syrskyi has initially been announced. The Ministry of Defence stated only that Zelenskyy had discussed their future assignments with him and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov. Major General Ihor Skybiuk is set to become the new chief of the General Staff; according to the ministry, the necessary decrees were still being prepared.

By appointing Drapatyi, Zelenskyy is seeking to bring the military leadership back into alignment following domestic political tensions. The key question will be whether the new command structure can coordinate troop supplies, mobilisation and the deployment of modern weapons systems more quickly. For Ukraine, the war against Russia remains both a military and technological stress test.