Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on July 21, following a controversial cabinet reshuffle that ousted popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Drapatyi, a highly decorated major general, is tasked with developing a modern defense strategy and continuing military reforms. He was the only general who publicly defended Fedorov after his dismissal, writing on Facebook that Fedorov's appointment six months ago was "a serious attempt to change conditions in the military system that were in place for years."

The reshuffle came after a major argument between former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Fedorov over strategic direction. Fedorov's firing sparked mass protests, with demonstrators demanding his reinstatement and Syrskyi's dismissal.

Drapatyi, born in 1982, has been a battle-hardened frontline commander since 2014. He coordinated the successful defense of Kryvyi Rih and liberation of southern areas after Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion. In June 2025, he offered his resignation after a missile strike on a training ground under his command killed 12 soldiers, but Zelenskyy refused it.

Military experts are divided on the change. Oleksandr Khara of the Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies views the protests as a democratic corrective, while Oleksiy Melnyk of the Razumkov Center criticized the move as a "completely unnecessary domestic political crisis."

The Ukrainian regime's personnel decisions appear driven by growing public pressure, as the country continues to face challenges in its war effort against Russian forces.

Source: www.dw.com