Zelensky appoints Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief, dismissing Oleksandr Syrskyi
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, as commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi in the role.
Syrskyi had held the post since February 2024, when he succeeded Valerii Zaluzhnyi after Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal. In mid-July 2026, a Meduza source close to the Ukrainian president’s office reported that Zelensky was seriously considering dismissing Syrskyi.
That came after the dissolution of Yulia Svyrydenko’s cabinet, which also cost Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov his post — he had been appointed to it in January. Fedorov later said he had come into conflict with Syrskyi and had urged Zelensky to dismiss the commander-in-chief, though Zelensky declined.
Fedorov’s removal as defense minister sparked protests across Ukrainian cities. Demonstrators demanded Fedorov’s reinstatement, Syrskyi’s dismissal, and military reforms. A Meduza source said those close to the president had not anticipated such a public reaction. “Fedorov’s return is already extremely unlikely, but Syrskyi is a different matter,” the source said. Bloomberg reported that 11 candidates were under consideration for the commander-in-chief position.
The Financial Times reported that Zelensky had tried to bring Fedorov back into the government and offered him various positions, but Fedorov was willing to return only as defense minister. Yevhenii Khmara, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, is currently serving as acting defense minister after being appointed to the role.
Shortly before Syrskyi’s dismissal was announced, Zelensky met again with Fedorov. According to Zelensky, he offered Fedorov “a meaningful position in government that would help unite the technological component of our state.” What that position is — and whether Fedorov agreed to accept it — remains unclear.
On the morning of July 22, Syrskyi published a statement about his dismissal, saying the army that two years ago was conducting a difficult defense is today on the offensive:
I am handing my successor an army that is not only holding the line but is in a state of offensive — with initiative, structure, and people who know how to strike the enemy. And I sincerely hope that this offensive will continue. Everything needed for that is in place.
He added that his work is “war.” “Positions change, but that principle does not,” he said.
At the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapatyi served as deputy commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. From November 2024, he commanded the Ground Forces. In June 2025, however, he submitted his resignation after a Russian missile strike on a training unit in Dnipropetrovsk region killed 12 servicemembers and wounded more than 60. Drapatyi said he was taking personal responsibility for what happened:
This is a conscious step, dictated by my personal sense of responsibility for the tragedy at the 239th training ground, in which our soldiers were killed. As commander, I was unable to fully ensure that my orders were carried out. I did not push hard enough, did not convince, did not change the attitude toward the person in the ranks. This is my responsibility. […] An army in which commanders bear personal responsibility for the lives of their people — lives. An army where no one is held accountable for losses — dies from within.
He subsequently became commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In his first address after being appointed commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi thanked Zelensky and acknowledged his predecessor, saying: “I am grateful to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi for his consistent efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s military. I came up through the ranks under his command.”
Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom and former commander-in-chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi also commented on the change of command:
The new commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces will have an incredibly difficult job — far more difficult than he imagines. But Mykhailo will never have reason to be ashamed. A person of honor has no idols, and therefore nothing to lose. The only thing he has is his duty.
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