Ukraine Appoints New Military Chief With Mandate to Expand Offensive Operations
Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi replaces Oleksandr Syrskyi in Kyiv’s largest wartime command restructuring
KYIV, July 23, 2026 — Ukraine’s newly appointed military commander has announced plans to intensify offensive operations, expand missions behind Russian lines and accelerate the use of battlefield technology.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed 43-year-old Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, replacing 60-year-old Oleksandr Syrskyi. It is the most significant change in Ukraine’s senior military leadership since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
Drapatyi said the objectives assigned to him include maintaining offensive pressure across different areas of combat, planning new operations behind enemy lines and strengthening Ukraine’s technological and military capabilities.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy, transportation and logistics infrastructure in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s ability to sustain its military campaign. Drapatyi’s comments suggest these operations could become a more prominent part of Kyiv’s strategy.
Major General Ihor Skybiuk, a former commander of Ukraine’s air-assault forces, has been selected to lead the General Staff.
The leadership change follows a broader government restructuring and the removal of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Those decisions exposed disagreements within Ukraine over military modernization, troop management and the role of emerging technologies such as drones.
Syrskyi said Ukraine had recovered approximately 700 square kilometres of territory during 2026. That figure represents a statement by the outgoing Ukrainian commander and has not been independently verified.
Drapatyi now faces several immediate challenges, including mobilization, troop shortages, battlefield losses and the need to maintain Western military assistance. Russia has publicly played down the likelihood that the appointment will fundamentally alter the course of the war.
