Zelensky announces Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine’s next commander-in-chief, pending formal decree

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he has chosen Col. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi to become Ukraine’s next commander-in-chief, signaling a major wartime change at the top of the military, but he also said the decision would be formalized later.

In a post on his official Telegram channel on July 21, Zelensky wrote, “Визначив, що новим Головнокомандувачем Збройних Сил України стане Михайло Драпатий” — “I have decided that the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be Mykhailo Drapatyi.”

As of July 21, however, no presidential decree appointing Drapatyi to the post had appeared on the official presidential decrees page. Under Ukrainian practice, the commander-in-chief’s post is formalized by presidential decree, meaning Drapatyi had been publicly announced for the role but had not yet been legally appointed. Until such a decree is issued, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi remains the formal incumbent. Syrskyi was appointed commander-in-chief by presidential decree on Feb. 8, 2024.

The commander-in-chief is Ukraine’s top military officer and a central figure in operational command during Russia’s full-scale war, making any transition in the post a major leadership shift.

In the same Telegram post, Zelensky said he, Drapatyi, acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara and presidential aide Pavlo Palisa had decided how the General Staff should be reconfigured. He added, “Завтра формалізуємо всі рішення” — “Tomorrow we will formalize all decisions.”

Zelensky also said he had discussed the transition with Syrskyi and Andriy Hnatov, writing: “Сьогодні з Олександром Сирським та з Андрієм Гнатовим ми говорили про подальші формати служби і правильну передачу справ” — “Today, with Oleksandr Syrskyi and Andriy Hnatov, we discussed future service formats and the proper handover.”

In the post, Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his service and credited him with results in the defense of Kyiv, the Kharkiv offensive operation and the Kursk operation.

Drapatyi’s current formal position is commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces, a post he was appointed to by Presidential Decree No. 384/2025 on June 3, 2025. Official profiles and prior reporting also show he has held other senior wartime operational commands, including leadership of the Land Forces and roles on major fronts between 2022 and 2025.

That background helps explain why Drapatyi had been widely seen as a credible contender for the top military job. Reuters, Ukrainska Pravda and other outlets reported that Zelensky held meetings with senior commanders in Kyiv from July 18 to 20 while reviewing possible changes in the military leadership, and Drapatyi had been widely identified in reporting as a leading candidate to replace Syrskyi.

Syrskyi, the current commander-in-chief since February 2024, had previously been closely associated with two of Ukraine’s most prominent battlefield successes: the defense of Kyiv early in Russia’s invasion and the Kharkiv counteroffensive. Zelensky’s public thanks on Tuesday underscored that record even as he signaled a change in command.

The move comes amid wider turbulence in Ukraine’s defense leadership. Khmara, whom Zelensky named in Tuesday’s post as part of the group planning the General Staff overhaul, became acting defense minister effective July 20 under a Cabinet order. Separately, reporting in mid-July documented the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and public protests in Kyiv and other cities that followed. Zelensky’s announcement of a new commander-in-chief came after those upheavals and after several days of meetings with senior commanders in the capital.