Key facts
- Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi has been appointed the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces.
- His predecessor, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- Drapatyi gained recognition for his combat leadership in 2014, including a daring rescue in Mariupol.
- He has held various combat command positions throughout his career, including leading Joint Forces.
- Drapatyi is known for his discipline, effectiveness in critical sectors, and support for military reform.
Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi has been appointed the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, replacing Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Drapatyi, 43, is known for his combat effectiveness and discipline, having built his reputation in the early stages of the conflict against Russia in 2014.
His career has been largely spent in combat assignments, including leading Ukraine's Joint Forces, which oversee daily combat operations. He is often deployed to critical front sectors and is respected for his past victories. A notable event from 2014 involved him leading an armored column into Mariupol to rescue besieged police officers and territorial defense officials, famously accelerating over a barricade. His battalion also fought its way out of an encirclement near the Russian border.
Drapatyi has held various command roles, including leading brigades in eastern Ukraine and serving as deputy Joint Forces commander. In 2024, he commanded forces that stopped Russian advances and organized defenses in key regions. He previously resigned from a ground forces command, taking personal responsibility after a Russian strike on a training center, citing systemic issues that hindered reform.
His uncompromising stance on reform became public when former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov noted that military leadership, including Drapatyi, had faced resistance and reprimands for pushing changes. Drapatyi himself has indicated that systemic blockages have made reforms difficult, emphasizing that a commander's silence is not a form of responsibility. He was born in 1982 and trained as a tank officer, graduating in 2004.