Ukraine gets new top commander as protests spark war’s biggest military shake up

Written by: Yuliia Dysa and Olena Harmash

KYIV, July 21 (Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi, a young major general, as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army after days of street protests.

Zelenskiy replaced 60-year-old Oleksandr Syrskyi with Drapatyi (43), a respected and experienced commander who led the country’s ground forces from 2024 to 2025 and was described as the general of the new generation.

Last week, Zelenskiy’s change of government and the dismissal of tech-savvy reformist Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, after just six months in office, raised concerns among analysts that Ukraine’s momentum on the latest battlefield could be lost.

Ukraine is trying to gain the upper hand in the war by dealing a heavy blow to the energy sector and logistics, which are Russia’s main source of budget income.

While introducing Drapatyi, Zelenskiy said, “The operations of the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue and must continue stably. Ukraine’s long-term sanctions plan and our medium-range strike program will be carried out with absolute precision.” he said.

Last week’s surprise government reshuffle sparked a political crisis that exposed weaknesses in Ukraine’s internal governance due to the lack of elections during the war.

DRAPATYI IS SEEN AS THE VOICE OF CHANGE

Drapatyi’s appointment comes after days of protests in which critics said changes in the government were not adequately explained and reflects the attitude of Ukrainians who see the use of technology as the key to winning the war. His career was shaped by fighting Russian troops for more than a decade.

Syrskyi played a key role in the defense of Kiev in the early days of the war and has held this position since the beginning of 2024.

But he also faced harsh criticism for his rigid command style, which some service members said led to unfairly high troop casualties.

Voices against him have emerged periodically, but last week’s change exposed deep divisions in Ukraine’s defense leadership.

Critics had accused Zelenskiy of favoring Syrskyi over Fedorov in a conflict between the two, and analysts questioned whether Ukraine could win the war, now in its fifth year, under Syrskyi’s leadership.

“I will work responsibly, with full focus and with respect for the people defending our country today,” Drapatyi said on Facebook.

Fedorov, whose return to office was one of the main demands of the protesters, welcomed the appointment.

Fedorov said in X: “This is a breath of fresh air and a new source of hope in the struggle of free people for freedom and justice. It is the voice of change that can no longer be ignored.”

Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran and one of the organizers of the protests, said in ‌X that Drapatyi’s appointment was a “gift” and that he celebrated his birthday on the day the appointment was announced.

Fedorov’s fate remained uncertain. Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that he had offered him a “decent post” to oversee the technological component of the state, but the former minister had previously said he just wanted his old job back.

Last week, Zelenskyy named Yevhenii Khmara, head of Ukraine’s internal security service, as acting defense minister.

“We all want the same thing: to defeat the enemy and create conditions that will allow us to force Russia to peace on the front lines and by putting pressure on Russia,” Zelenskiy said. he said.

(Reporting and writing by Yuliia Dysa; Additional reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Edmund Klamann)