Surprise appointment amid reshuffle of Ukraine's top military command: Who is the general to lead new task force in Kharkiv

Ukrainian General Mihailo Drapatyi has been appointed commander of the new Inter-Armed Task Force of the Ukrainian armed forces, a new command structure responsible for the front line in and around the Kharkiv region, Kyiv's military announced on Monday (October 20th).

The move comes amid an ongoing and often unclear restructuring of the Ukrainian high command, which began with the announcement of a transition to a corps-based command system in February this year, The Kyiv Independent notes.

After the Chief of the General Staff, Andrii Hnatov, announced the “completion” of the reform of the army corps, the larger command structures, including the operational-strategic group Dnipro, headed by General Drapatyi, were disbanded by the supreme commander of the Ukrainian army, General Oleksandr Sîrskîi, on 6 October.

Initially, it was expected that the new army corps would report directly to the General Staff, replacing the operational-strategic groupings. But according to this announcement, the new task force will directly coordinate the bodies in its area of ​​responsibility.

The decision appears to contradict the original aim of the controversial army reform, which has been beset by many problems, with critics saying it has yet to be properly implemented. The new corps commanders—each responsible for about five brigades—were supposed to take direct control of the units under their command, rather than transmitting orders through temporary structures such as operational-strategic groups.

“Close cooperation with the young commanders of the units that are part of the Joint Forces Command, as well as the common experience gained in operational planning, will give a new impetus to the development of the capabilities of the Joint Forces Working Group and create additional opportunities for the effective rejection of the enemy,” wrote the new command structure, in a message published on Facebook.

The announcement comes amid long-standing tensions between Ukraine's army chief, Oleksandr Sîrskîi, and Mihailo Drapatyi, 42, one of Ukraine's most respected generals.

On June 1, Drapatyi tendered his resignation as commander of the Ground Forces after a Russian missile hit a training range, killing 12 soldiers and injuring 60 others.

According to sources cited by Ukrainska Pravda in an article published on October 6 last year, whose identity was not revealed, the decision to dissolve the operational-strategic group Dnipro, which covered the entire eastern front line, was motivated by Sîrskîi's desire to reduce Drapatyi's influence within the Ukrainian military leadership.