Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi ends his post as the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army. On Tuesday night it he announced President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

Syrsky will be replaced by the commander of the United Forces, Major General Mychajlo Drapatyj.

“I have decided that Mykhailo Drapaty will become the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Together with Mykhailo, Yevheni Chmar (temporary minister of defense, editor’s note) and Pavel Palis (Zelensky’s adviser on military affairs, editor’s note), we determined how the composition of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine should be restored,” Zelenskyy said.

At the same time, the Ukrainian president pointed out what results Oleksandr Syrskyy achieved as the commander-in-chief. He recalled the defense of Kyiv in 2022, the operation to liberate the Kharkiv region, or the operation that surprised the whole world – the invasion of Ukrainian forces into Russia’s Kursk region.

“I am grateful to Oleksandr Syrsky and each of our soldiers for the strong frontline positions of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

In Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapaté is considered one of the symbols of Ukrainian resistance to Russia.

The forty-four-year-old professional soldier, who graduated from the Kharkiv Institute of Tank Troops, joined the defense of Ukraine in 2014. The then battalion commander of the 72nd Mechanized Brigade Drapaty became famous videoas an armored personnel carrier breaks through a separatist checkpoint in the city of Mariupol, which pro-Russian forces tried to break away from Ukraine.

According to military analysts, Drapatyj is known for asking his subordinates for their opinions and taking an interest in the needs of the troops.

After Syrskyi replaced Valery Zaluzhny as commander-in-chief in 2024, Drapatyj took charge of the ground forces. However, he resigned in 2025 after the Russians hit the training center with an Iskander missile.

Drapatyj justified his resignation by saying that he feels responsible for the tragedy during which several soldiers died. “As a commander, I failed to fully ensure that my orders were carried out,” stated.

We will update the report.