Drapatyi on his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces of Ukraine: I will work responsibly and with respect for Ukraine’s defenders
Mykhailo Drapatyi, who has taken over as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine following the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi, has responded to his new appointment.
He wrote about this on social media, according to Censor.NET.
Reaction from the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
"I would like to thank the President of Ukraine for his trust, the Minister of Defence for his support, and the Armed Forces for this new stage of service. Serving Ukraine has always been an honour for me, and during the war for independence, it means absolute responsibility.
I am grateful to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, for his consistent work in strengthening the Ukrainian military. I grew up within its ranks. I will work responsibly, with focus and with respect for the people who are defending our state today. Glory to the nation. Death to the enemies," Drapatyi emphasised.
What is known about Drapatyi?
Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi is known, in particular, for his role in the liberation of occupied Mariupol in 2014. On his orders, on 9 May, Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicles broke through the checkpoints of the occupied city. Drapatyi himself was in the first IFV to cross the barricades.
In March 2022, he commanded the defence of Kryvyi Rih, during which the occupiers were halted and the line of contact stabilised. Subsequently, the brigadier general headed the ‘Kherson’ operational group and was one of the commanders who led the liberation of the right bank of the Kherson region.
In February 2024, Drapatyi was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And in May, against the backdrop of the Russian offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region, he also became commander of the ‘Kharkiv’ operational-tactical group of forces, replacing Yurii Halushkin. At the end of January 2024, he was also appointed to command the ‘Khortytsia’ operational-strategic group of forces, in addition to his role as Commander of the Land Forces.
In November 2024, Drapatyi became Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Land Forces. In June 2025, he was appointed Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Joint Forces.
New Cabinet and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Fedorov’s resignation
- On 14 July, the Verkhovna Rada approved a resolution on the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. The entire Cabinet automatically resigned along with her.
- On 15 July, Mykhailo Fedorov announced that he was stepping down as Minister of Defence.
- Rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov took place in Dnipro, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk, Cherkasy and other cities. Participants are protesting against his resignation.
- On 16 July, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint a new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The Prime Minister is Serhii Koretskyi.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would nominate Yevhen Khmara for the post of Minister of Defence of Ukraine. Prior to this, he had instructed Khmara to act as head of the Ministry of Defence.
- Protests against Fedorov’s dismissal continued in Ukrainian cities. In addition to demanding that Fedorov be reinstated as Defence Minister, people called for the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
- On 21 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi from his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi in his place.
