Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on July 21 that Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi would become commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, replacing Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. The decision followed days of protests in Kyiv and other cities where demonstrators demanded Syrskyi's removal and the return of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Zelenskyy said he reached the decision after consultations across Ukraine's military leadership. He instructed Drapatyi and other commanders to submit an updated defense strategy covering corps reform, mobilization, weapons and drone deliveries, and protection against Russian air attacks.

Government reshuffle brought military disputes into public view

The protests began after Zelenskyy removed Fedorov as defense minister six months into his tenure during a wider government reshuffle. Zelenskyy said an unworkable dispute between Fedorov and Syrskyi had forced him to intervene. Fedorov then accused the military leadership of blocking reforms, while protesters cast him as a modernization advocate opposed by an entrenched command structure.

Reuters reported that Syrskyi had faced criticism from some service members over a rigid command style and troop losses. Those allegations formed part of the public case against him, but they do not amount to an independent finding that his decisions caused specific casualties. The available reports also do not establish how much the street protests affected a decision made after private consultations with commanders.

Drapatyi built his career in field commands

Former Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi in uniform

Drapatyi, 43, first gained national attention in 2014 while leading a battalion of Ukraine's 72nd Brigade during fighting in Mariupol. He later held a series of field commands and served as deputy Joint Forces commander after Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Zelenskyy appointed Drapatyi commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces in 2024, and Drapatyi resigned after a Russian strike killed soldiers at a training center. He said he had failed to ensure that his orders were followed and had been prevented from changing a system in which officials shielded one another from responsibility. Zelenskyy subsequently put him in charge of the Joint Forces, which coordinate day-to-day operations across military branches.

Command transition comes with an immediate battlefield agenda

Zelenskyy paired the appointment with instructions to keep ongoing operations from being disrupted. He also credited Syrskyi with results in the defense of Kyiv, the 2022 Kharkiv offensive and Ukraine's operation in Russia's Kursk region, signaling a transfer of command rather than a rejection of Syrskyi's entire record.

Drapatyi now has to turn a personnel change into operational decisions while the war continues. Neither the appointment nor the announced strategy process shows yet whether the new command team can improve weapons distribution, mobilization or decision-making at the front.