On 21 July 2026, another period of turbulence in Ukraine’s senior military and political leadership came to an end. Following the government reshuffle and six days of protests in many regional centres, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a change in the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine: Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi was appointed Commander-in-Chief, replacing General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Who else was considered for the position?
According to sources in political circles, the authorities considered several candidates to replace Syrskyi. In addition to Mykhailo Drapatyi, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the final shortlist for the position of Commander-in-Chief included:
- Brigadier General Andrii Biletskyi, Commander of the Third Army Corps of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Major General Oleh Apostol, Commander of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Colonel Ihor Obolenskyi, Commander of the Khartiia Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine.
The “Flying IFV” and Drapatyi’s combat record
For many Ukrainians, Mykhailo Drapatyi’s name is associated with the legendary footage from 2014 showing an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) breaking through barricades in Mariupol. Although the vehicle was driven by mechanic-driver Dmytro Vorona, the operation itself was commanded by Drapatyi, who at the time led a battalion of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade.
His military career includes some of the most difficult operations of this twelve-year war. Among the key milestones are:
- the breakout from the infamous Izvaryne encirclement (summer 2014);
- the defence of Kryvyi Rih (March 2022);
- the liberation of the right bank of Kherson Oblast (autumn 2022);
- the heavy fighting in Kharkiv Oblast (May 2024).
Drapatyi’s value as a commander lies not only in his combat experience. He is known as a proponent of modern approaches to command and logistics and advocates the view that, to achieve an asymmetric victory over the enemy, the military must work closely with technological initiatives and implement reforms.
What comes next?
The appointment of a new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is expected to trigger a number of further changes. In the near future, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is expected to undergo restructuring, including the replacement of its Chief, Lieutenant General Andrii Hnatov, as well as the development of an updated defence strategy, since the current strategic planning documents were drafted before the start of the full-scale invasion and do not take into account the challenges of full-scale war.
However, the most important challenge facing Mykhailo Drapatyi will be the development and presentation of a realistic vision of the mobilisation process—one of the country’s most pressing issues.
What are the responsibilities of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine?
To understand the scope of the new Commander’s responsibilities, it is worth recalling the legal status of the position. Under Ukrainian law, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports both to the President of Ukraine, who directly approves his powers, and to the Minister of Defence. He regularly reports to both the Head of State and the Minister of Defence on the achievement of military-strategic objectives.
In practice, the position entails direct military command of the Armed Forces and all units of other defence forces assigned to them. The Commander-in-Chief determines which forces are sufficiently combat-ready to carry out specific missions and is responsible for overall strategic planning—from developing plans to repel armed aggression to approving key military doctrines, standards, and guidance.
In addition to directly commanding military operations, the Commander-in-Chief oversees the overall readiness of the armed forces, organises joint training, and supervises their provision with equipment and weapons. In these tasks, he is assisted by the Chief of the General Staff, who is directly subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief. While the Commander-in-Chief focuses on strategy and the employment of forces, the General Staff is responsible for determining resource requirements, technical equipment, and the comprehensive support of the armed forces.