Zelenskyy appoints Mykhailo Drapatyi as new commander of Ukraine's Ground Forces
Photo: Mykhailo Drapatyi (facebook_com_CinCAFofUkraine)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy's Telegram.
According to Zelenskyy, today he received a briefing from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi regarding the situation on the front lines and in the areas of the Kursk operation.
"Together with the Commander-in-Chief, we made several personnel decisions for our army. Mykhailo Drapatyi has been appointed the new Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Oleksii Apostol has been appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces," Zelenskyy wrote.
The president emphasizes that the primary task now is to enhance the combat capability of the army. It is also necessary to ensure high-quality training for service members and implement innovative approaches to personnel management within the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Who is Mykhailo Drapatyi?
In 2014, Drapatyi served as the commander of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade. By April of that year, the entire 72nd Brigade was deployed to eastern Ukraine. Under his leadership, the 2nd Battalion of the 72nd Brigade entered Mariupol in May 2014.
Photo: Mykhailo Drapatyi (facebook_com_MinistryofDefence_UA)
In 2016, he was appointed commander of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade, headquartered in Konotop, Sumy region. From the summer of 2017, Drapatyi operated in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone, leading the 58th Brigade’s activities in the Bakhmut highway area.
In 2019, he began a two-year program at the Ivan Chernyakhovsky National Defense University of Ukraine. Until 2024, he led the Kherson operational group.
Drapatyi is recognized as one of the commanders who played a key role in the liberation of the right-bank Kherson region. In February 2024, he was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. In May of the same year, he became the commander of the Kharkiv operational and tactical group.
The corresponding decrees on the dismissal of Oleksandr Pavliuk and the appointment of Drapatyi have already appeared on the website of the President. Pavliuk has held the post since February 2024, replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi.
