Drapatyi’s appointment signals rare consensus as Ukraine sheds Soviet military culture
Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi is highly respected by both career officers and soldiers who have served since 2022 (Photo: https://www.facebook.com/MykhailoDrapatyi)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to appoint 43-year-old Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces received rare, near-universal support, demonstrating his high standing across political, military, and public circles while helping stabilize the political situation in Kyiv amid widespread protests, The Guardian reported on July 22.
Drapatyi belongs to a younger generation of Ukrainian commanders formed by more than a decade of fighting and built his reputation on the frontline.
Supporters say he was one of the first to take up drone warfare and delegated authority to junior officers. Perhaps more importantly, Drapatyi represents a break with the Soviet-style command culture soldiers associated with Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom critics accused of relying on costly frontal assaults and spending soldiers’ lives too freely.
“[Drapatyi] is a critic of Soviet-style thinking and micromanagement, and he recognizes the problems with lying inside the military,” senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute Rob Lee said.
Mykola Bielieskov, a researcher at Ukraine’s National Institute for Strategic Studies, described Drapatyi as “humane and open to dialogue”. He commands respect among both career officers and those who joined the military after 2022, because he had risen through the ranks on merit and understood the realities of the battlefield.
When Drapatyi resigned as commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces following a Russian strike on a training ground that killed dozens of soldiers in June 2025, he received widespread admiration and reinforced his reputation as one of Ukraine’s most accountable commanders.
“President Zelenskyy made the best possible choice,” said the Ukrainian military analyst and veteran Tatarigami. “It will take time for changes to take effect. But I know many soldiers have renewed hope for change, and that is very important for morale.”
Analysts warned, however, that expectations may have run ahead of what the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces can actually achieve. Drapatyi is expected to improve battlefield management and the army’s day-to-day functioning. But many of Ukraine’s most pressing wartime challenges lay beyond the authority of any commander-in-chief, Bielieskov said.
“There is a risk that in six months he will be blamed for problems he cannot fully control,” the military expert argued. “Many of the biggest challenges facing Ukraine lie outside his mandate.”
Syrskyi's dismissal and Drapatyi’s appointment
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on July 21 that Oleksandr Syrskyi is stepping down as Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi replacing him.
Oleksandr Syrskyi’s dismissal followed widespread protests across Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, which erupted after Mykhailo Fedorov resigned as Defense Minister on July 16 and accused the Commander-in-Chief of blocking his team's initiatives and “weaving political intrigues”.
The president issued the official decrees on July 22, and Drapatyi assumed office. That same day, Zelenskyy announced that former Air Assault Forces Commander Ihor Skybiuk would become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"Difficult work lies ahead, so we are working without loud promises, with responsibility for our decisions and respect for the people holding the front line and helping Ukraine endure," Drapatyi wrote.
Syrskyi also responded to his dismissal and declared that he will serve Ukraine until victory.
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