Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this morning the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Zelensky highlighted that the new commander is a “very experienced military officer” who has worked alongside previous Chief of Staff Ihor Skibiyuk in defending Ukraine.
Drapatyi expressed gratitude to the president for the support of this decision, stating, “I met Ihor Skibiyuk in 2022 in southern Ukraine, where we jointly coordinated operations to liberate Kherson. Since then, I have known him as a commander I can trust in difficult circumstances.”
He noted Skibiyuk’s previous role as the commander of the Air Assault Forces, where strong leaders such as Oleg Apostol, Dmytro Voloshin, Yevhen Lasiichuk, Sviatoslav Zayets, Emil Ishkulov, Andrii Tkachuk, and many others have emerged.
Drapatyi concluded, “The work ahead will be challenging, so we will operate without making grand promises. We are committed to our decisions and to respecting those who are holding the frontline and helping Ukraine endure. The President has set clear tasks for us: to continue and enhance offensive actions across all domains, to plan new operations behind enemy lines, to develop our military and its technologies, and to strengthen the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
Context
- Before Skibiyuk’s appointment, Major General Andrii Hnatov had been leading the General Staff since March 16, 2025.
- According to Zelensky, Hnatov, like former Chief of Staff Oleksandr Syrskyi, will continue to serve in the defense of Ukraine, although details regarding their roles were not disclosed as of the morning of July 22.
