Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces following a political crisis triggered by the defence minister’s resignation after a government reshuffle.

Drapatyi, 43, succeeds 60-year-old Oleksandr Syrskyi, a prominent military commander who faced repeated criticism over his alleged reliance on Soviet-style tactics and disregard for troop losses.

Fighting Russia-Backed Separatists

Drapatyi is a career officer who received his military training entirely within the Ukrainian armed forces established after the country gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

He began his career as a lieutenant and steadily advanced through the ranks before gaining national recognition during the 2014 conflict against Russia-backed separatists.

A widely circulated video showed Drapatyi commanding an infantry fighting vehicle as it broke through a makeshift barricade erected by pro-Moscow forces in the southern city of Mariupol.

Drapatyi later recalled that his driver asked him what to do when they encountered the roadblocks.

He responded by instructing the driver, whom he called Dima, to press the accelerator.

The video showed the armoured vehicle, flying a Ukrainian flag, crashing through a barrier made of tyres and other materials. The vehicle briefly lifted into the air before continuing forward at speed.

Drapatyi was also credited with recapturing several towns from Russia-backed forces and later leading his unit out of an encirclement.

He is married and has children.

Supporting Military Transformation

Drapatyi is widely viewed as a consensus candidate who enjoys considerable popularity within Ukraine’s armed forces.

During demonstrations calling for Syrskyi’s removal, protesters chanted Drapatyi’s name and presented him as their preferred replacement.

Despite his public reputation, Drapatyi has maintained a limited media presence and rarely gives interviews, unlike several other senior Ukrainian commanders.

In June 2025, he resigned as commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces following a series of Russian strikes on Ukrainian military training grounds.

The decision strengthened his reputation as a commander willing to accept responsibility for failures under his leadership.

At the time, Drapatyi warned that Ukraine would be condemned to failure if the military did not learn lessons, change its approach to service and acknowledge its mistakes.

Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said the resignation demonstrated Drapatyi’s decisiveness and high ethical standards.

Drapatyi was immediately appointed commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces, a position from which he promoted reforms across the military establishment.

Following the resignation of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had been considered a leading advocate of military modernisation, Drapatyi insisted that the army’s transformation must continue.

In a rare public intervention, he argued that when correct decisions must be implemented despite the system rather than because of it, the system itself needs to change.

“The army needs new rules,” he said.

A ‘Breath of Fresh Air’

Drapatyi’s appointment was widely welcomed both inside and outside the Ukrainian military.

Serhiy Prytula, who heads one of Ukraine’s largest charities supporting the armed forces, described the decision as excellent news.

Fedorov, a Drapatyi ally, called the new commander “a breath of fresh air” and a source of renewed hope in the Ukrainian people’s struggle for freedom and justice.

Moscow dismissed the importance of the leadership change.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he did not expect the appointment to produce any changes on the battlefield, adding that Russian forces would continue their offensive across the entire front line.

An Extremely Difficult Period

Drapatyi takes command at a moment when Ukraine is in one of its strongest battlefield positions in months, but its military continues to face serious internal challenges.

The armed forces have been shaken by several scandals, particularly concerning the unpopular mobilisation campaign, the treatment of recruits and reports of widespread unauthorised absences.

Some military units are also experiencing shortages of equipment.

Former army commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who was dismissed in 2024, warned that the new commander-in-chief’s task would be extremely difficult and far more challenging than many people imagine.

The public dispute of the previous week also exposed divisions within Ukraine’s military and political leadership that had previously remained largely hidden.

Drapatyi’s appointment is being viewed as an attempt to repair those divisions, but it also places considerable expectations on the new commander.