Ukraine Military Leadership

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine's new armed forces commander, dismissing General Oleksandr Syrskyi and replacing General Staff Chief Andrij Hnatov with Ihor Skybyuk in a broad restructuring of the country's military leadership.

Drapatyi, 43, is known for developing Ukraine's 'drone line' strategy and earned recognition as a hero of Mariupol for breaching barricades with an armoured vehicle in 2014. He previously resigned as ground forces commander in June 2025 after a strike killed 12 soldiers at a training ground.

The overhaul follows the July 15 dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, which triggered protests in Kyiv. Demonstrators continue to rally outside the presidential office demanding Fedorov's reinstatement.

Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has declined multiple government roles proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, stating on 23 July 2026 that he will accept no position other than his former defence portfolio.

Zelensky, announcing the move in an evening address, said he had offered Fedorov a leadership role to strengthen the country's technological capabilities. Fedorov, however, rejected the overtures, arguing that with the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new armed forces commander, the outgoing defence ministry team could immediately begin transforming the military.

Fedorov was dismissed last week after just six months in office. His removal followed protests that also led Zelensky to replace armed forces chief Oleksandr Syrskyi with Drapatyi. A recent poll shows public trust in Fedorov rising sharply from 35 to 65 percent over the past week.

Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Wednesday for talks focused on bilateral support and a dispute over Irish industrial exports.

Martin is also meeting Ukraine's new Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi, appointed last week, and visiting the Verkhovna Rada to meet speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk. Ireland has provided more than €500 million in bilateral aid to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. The visit follows Zelensky's trip to Dublin earlier in July, during which he raised concerns about Irish alumina exports.

The Irish government is investigating whether Aughinish Alumina exports reach Russian munitions production, with findings expected to conclude within a week and be sent to the European Commission. Zelensky dismissed army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi on Tuesday. Meanwhile, civilian casualties in Ukraine rose 37 percent in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the armed forces on July 21, 2026, and appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi to lead the military.

The decision followed six days of protests in Kyiv and other cities sparked by Zelenskyy's July 16 removal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Demonstrators had demanded Fedorov's reinstatement and Syrskyi's ouster, with army veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi warning of nationwide strikes if the demands were not met by July 24. Fedorov had publicly accused Syrskyi of blocking his reform efforts, though Syrskyi denied any conflict in a statement published on the Militarny website.

Zelenskyy named Yevhenii Khmara as acting defence minister. Khmara previously led the SBU's Centre for Special Operations 'A'. The leadership shake-up comes as the UN documented 1,396 civilian deaths in Ukraine in the first half of 2026, a 37% increase from the prior year.