According to the source, Drapatyi was dissatisfied with Hruzevych's performance in the role, noting that he hindered and delayed critical decision-making processes.
"Hruzevych sat back and responded to everything by saying, 'Oleksandr Stanislovovych [Syrskyi] is my boss,'" the media outlet quoted the source as saying.
Hruzevych was reassigned to a reserve battalion, where service members typically remain following a dismissal while awaiting a new assignment.
Earlier reports indicated that former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi signed a formal investigation report on July 19 recommending the dismissal of Shamil Krutkov, commander of the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar." However, the new Commander-in-Chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, suspended the dismissal and ordered the officer to resume command of the brigade.
Syrskyi's dismissal and Drapatyi's appointment
On the evening of July 21, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Oleksandr Syrskyi was stepping down as Commander-in-Chief of the AFU, a post he had held since February 2024 following the resignation of Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Mykhailo Drapatyi, the 43-year-old Commander of the Joint Forces, was appointed as the new Commander-in-Chief.
Syrskyi's dismissal followed public protests in Kyiv and other major cities across Ukraine, which erupted after Mykhailo Fedorov's resignation as Minister of Defense on July 16. The former defense minister stated that the Commander-in-Chief blocked all initiatives proposed by his team and engaged in political maneuvering.
On July 22, Syrskyi commented on his resignation, stating that he will continue serving Ukraine until victory.
That same day, Drapatyi announced that he had officially assumed his duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On July 22, Acting Minister of Defense Yevhenii Khmara met with Drapatyi. Both leaders agreed to maintain full transparency with one another and maximize efforts to shift combat operations directly onto Russian territory.
On July 24, Drapatyi outlined his primary objectives, highlighting the strengthening of air defenses and the elimination of military bureaucracy.