Zelenskyy reshuffles top military command in major leadership shake-up

On June 3, Zelenskyy announced a series of major command changes across Ukraine’s Defense Forces. He removed Lieutenant General Oleksandr Drapatyi as commander of the Ground Forces, appointing him instead to lead the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Other major changes included Robert “Magyar” Brovdi taking over the Unmanned Systems Forces from Vadym Sukharevskyi, and Oleh Apostol replacing Ihor Skybiuk as commander of the Air Assault Forces. Sukharevskyi was reassigned as deputy commander of Operational Command East, and Skybiuk was appointed deputy chief of the General Staff.

Why the changes?

A general who leads from the front

Military expert Pavlo Narozhnyi, founder of the NGO Reactive Mail, said the most consequential shift was Drapatyi’s promotion to commander of the Joint Forces.

Drapatyi had submitted his resignation after a Russian strike on Ukraine’s 239th training range in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast killed 12 servicemen and injured 60 others. He said he took “personal responsibility for the tragedy,” admitting he had failed to fully enforce his orders: “I didn’t push hard enough, didn’t persuade, didn’t change the mindset of the people in formation. That’s on me.”

Until now, Drapatyi had held dual roles—commander of the Ground Forces, which involves more administrative duties, and commander of the Khortytsia Operational Grouping, which includes critical sectors like Pokrovsk and Toretsk.

“Drapatyi has already proven himself capable of delivering results,” said Roman Pohorilyi, co-founder and analyst at the DeepState project.

“It’s great that such commanders are being noticed and given the opportunity to rise,” he added. “I hope they let him keep moving up.”

Pohorilyi described Drapatyi as someone with a modern understanding of combat who prefers operational command to bureaucracy. The Joint Forces role puts him in charge of direct frontline management, combat planning, and resource coordination.

“This is a general more comfortable on the battlefield than behind a desk,” Narozhnyi noted.

High expectations for Magyar

The second major change was Brovdi’s appointment to head Ukraine’s drone forces. A combat-tested officer, Brovdi founded the renowned "Magyar’s Birds" unit, which evolved into the 414th Separate Brigade of Strike UAV Systems.

Analysts weren’t surprised by Sukharevskyi’s dismissal. His relationship with Syrskyi had been strained since the Unmanned Systems Forces were established in 2024. Sukharevskyi himself admitted their visions had diverged and called the leadership transition “an honest and professional decision.”

“Syrskyi comes from an older generation. Sukharevskyi’s mindset is more modern,” Pohorilyi said.

Narozhnyi added that the two commanders had fundamentally different value systems and could not work together.

Still, experts emphasized that Sukharevskyi was a respected officer with 20 years of experience, including peacekeeping in Iraq and fighting Russian forces since 2014. He was also one of Ukraine’s first drone warfare pioneers.

As for Brovdi, Pohorilyi said he built one of the most effective combat drone units from scratch and has shown strong leadership and resource management skills.

“It’s a big plus that someone with real battlefield experience is leading,” Pohorilyi said. “He’s not one of those armchair generals with Soviet-era awards and textbook knowledge.”

Narozhnyi added that Brovdi now faces the challenge of scaling the work of his predecessor, especially as the drone forces face a shortage of qualified UAV pilots.

A ‘new vision’ under Apostol

Military analysts believe the appointment of Apostol to lead the Air Assault Forces reflects a need for strategic renewal.

Apostol is widely respected and has fought Russia since 2014. He took part in Ukraine’s cross-border operations in Kursk Oblast and was named deputy commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces in 2024.

Change viewed as positive

Overall, experts welcomed the leadership overhaul. Pohorilyi said new commanders could bring better resource management and fresh ideas to the military.

“Let’s see what happens. Getting the title doesn’t always mean getting the power to act,” he said. “The key is making sure they aren’t blocked.”

Narozhnyi emphasized that none of the replacements were “toxic” and that all incoming commanders are respected professionals. The only concern, he noted, is the still-vacant post of Ground Forces commander.

“That role should go to someone experienced in general combat operations—like the liberation of Kherson or Kharkiv, or combat on the Donetsk front,” he said. “But those are people who are already part of high command.”

Ultimately, Narozhnyi believes some temporary instability is better than stagnation.