Army is strong and trusts Drapatyi, command is in safe hands, - Budanov
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made an extremely important personnel decision regarding the restructuring of the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
This was reported on a Telegram channel by Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office, as he commented on the resignation of Oleksandr Syrskyi and the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to Censor.NET.
According to him, the most important thing right now is commanding the troops and remaining fully focused on the front lines, because the enemy doesn’t take breaks from the war.
A Note of Thanks to Syrskyi
"General Oleksandr Syrskyi, my sincere gratitude for your years of grueling work, for your resilience, and for your dedication to Ukraine. You have done an extraordinary amount to defend Ukraine—the defense of Kyiv, the Kharkiv operation, the toughest sections of the front, and, above all, taking command of the Armed Forces at one of the most critical moments of the war.
"We worked side by side on these operations—together with the Defence Intelligence, which I headed—and I witnessed this work," Budanov said.
Budanov on Drapatyi
In addition, he emphasized that he has known Drapatyi for a long time.
"He is a commander with a real sense of combat who soberly assesses the situation, makes decisions quickly, and looks out for his men. The army trusts him, and that is a mark of his combat merit. Mykhailo Vasylovych, great challenges lie ahead, and you have everything you need to overcome them. The army is strong, and command is in reliable hands. We know what we stand for, and we know where we’re headed. Our resilience is the path to victory.
"You can count on my full support and assistance. Our strength lies in our unity and in each person's sense of responsibility," the head of the Office of the President concluded.
New Cabinet of Ministers and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Fedorov's Resignation
- On July 14, the Verkhovna Rada approved a resolution on the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Along with her, the entire Cabinet of Ministers automatically resigned.
- On July 15, Mikhail Fedorov announced that he was stepping down as head of the Ministry of Defense.
- Rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov took place in Dnipro, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk, Cherkasy, and other cities. Participants are protesting his resignation.
- On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint the new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The Prime Minister is Serhiy Koretskyi.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he will nominate Yevhen Khmara for the position of Ukraine's Minister of Defense. Prior to this, he had tasked Khmara with serving as acting head of the Ministry of Defense.
- Protests against Fedorov’s resignation continued in Ukrainian cities. In addition to demanding that Fedorov be reinstated as defense minister, people demanded the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- On July 21, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi from his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Instead, he appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi.
