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.