Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has carried out the most extensive reshuffle in the command of the defense forces since the beginning of the war.
The current Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, has been relieved of his post. His place is taken by the current commander of the United Forces, Major General Mykhailo Drapatiy, the Ukrainian agency RBC-Ukraine reports.
The head of state's decision comes after five days of escalating political tension and mass nationwide protests on the streets of Kiev and other major cities. The discontent was unleashed on July 15, when reformer and digital technology expert Mykhailo Fedorov was removed from the position of defense minister due to a deep institutional conflict with Syrsky over the modernization strategy, mobilization and the priority deployment of combat drones at the front.
In his official evening address, Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Drapatiy is the new commander-in-chief, noting that among the main priorities of the new leadership will be the maximum protection of the sky from Russian strikes, the reform of the corps system and the development of unmanned technologies. Regarding the dismissed Fedorov, the president announced that he had offered him a “decent leadership position“ in the government, which would unite and develop the technological and innovative potential of the state, the official portal of the Presidency of Ukraine reports.
Mykhailo Fedorov himself welcomed the appointment of 43-year-old General Drapatiy on social networks, defining him as “a breath of fresh air and a source of new hope for change, which could no longer be ignored“. According to Reuters, the political crisis in Kiev remains partially open, as at the moment Fedorov has not yet confirmed whether he accepts Zelensky's new proposal, holding to his original position that he only wants to return to the post of Minister of Defense, where the interim head Yevgen Khmara was appointed last week.
Major General Mykhailo Drapatiy (call sign “Rubin“) is seen as a representative of the new generation of Ukrainian officers. He enjoys extremely high trust among ordinary servicemen and civil society thanks to the successful defense of Kharkov in 2024 and his reformist views, adds the British publication “Guardian“ in its analysis. The official finalization of all decisions on the restructuring of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is expected within today.