Mykhailo Drapatyi: Who is Ukraine's new commander-in-chief?
Ukraine has a new army chief, with Mykhailo Drapatyi replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief. The change follows a cabinet reshuffle that ousted the popular defense
Ukraine has a new army chief, with Mykhailo Drapatyi replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief. The change follows a cabinet reshuffle that ousted the popular defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. On Tuesday (July 21), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Zelenskyy wants him to develop a modern defense strategy and to continue the recently launched military reforms. This comes after an unexpected cabinet reshuffle last week. Many ministers have retained their posts under new Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi, but not former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had a major argument with former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi about the strategic direction that Ukraine's war effort should take. President Zelenskyy's military shakeup has been widely criticized Image: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/REUTERS The firing of the popular defense minister sparked outrage among parts of Ukraine's population. During mass protests, demonstrators not only demanded his return but also the dismissal of Syrskyi. While the latter has now been removed from his post, Federov will not be returning. Zelenskyy has appointed Yevhen Khmara, who was previously head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), as the new defense minister. 'The army needs changes' Mykhailo Drapatyi was the only general who publicly defended Fedorov after his dismissal.
He wrote on Facebook that Fedorov's appointment to the defense ministry six months ago had been "a serious attempt to change conditions in the military system that were in place for years." He added that the Defense Ministry had developed into a true partner for the army: "Cooperation between the troops and the Defense Ministry changed. There was a new willingness to listen to commanders, to take decisions more quickly and to support changes that came from the units themselves." Drapatyj explained that many of the changes had had to be pushed through despite fierce resistance from the old system, and that there was a need to discuss problems in the army openly and honestly. Zelenskyy fires armed forces chief Syrskyi To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Who is Mykhailo Drapatyi? Mykhailo Drapatyi (born in 1982) is a highly decorated Ukrainian major general who has distinguished himself as a battle-hardened frontline commander since 2014. At the beginning of the Donbas War, the trained tank trooper became known for his resolve during what was then called an "anti-terror operation." After Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, he coordinated — as deputy commander of the Ukrainian Joint Forces — the successful defense of the town of Kryvyi Rih as well as the liberation of strategically important areas in the south of the country.
The BriefWire