Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, replacing General Oleksandr Syrskyi in the country's biggest military leadership shake-up since Russia's full-scale invasion began more than four years ago. The move follows days of public protests and mounting pressure on Kyiv's wartime leadership as Ukraine seeks to maintain momentum against Russian forces.
The appointment places one of Ukraine's most battle-tested commanders at the helm of the military during a critical phase of the war. At 43, Drapatyi is viewed by many military analysts and fellow officers as a representative of a new generation of Ukrainian commanders shaped by frontline combat rather than Soviet-era military traditions.
