(Kyiv) – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Lieutenant General Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander of the Joint Forces of Ukraine, shifting him from his former post as head of the Land Forces. The move is part of a wider reshuffle in Ukraine’s military leadership aimed at streamlining battlefield strategy and reinforcing combat operations along the front lines.
The appointment was confirmed during a military meeting attended by Commander in Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, Deputy Commander Andriy Hnatov, Defence Minister Rustem Umyerov, and President Zelenskyy. In his remarks, Zelenskyy said the aim is to give Drapatyi a single clear focus: leading the Joint Forces directly in combat zones.
Zelenskyy explained that with Drapatyi now concentrating fully on the battlefield, administrative and training functions tied to the Land Forces will be taken on by a different commander yet to be named. This is intended to allow Drapatyi to dedicate one hundred percent of his efforts to the ongoing war effort and frontline coordination.
The president also announced several related appointments. Robert “Magyar” Brovdi has been named Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, replacing Vadym Sukhareskyi. Sukhareskyi has been transferred to the role of Deputy Commander of the “East” Operational Command, where he is tasked with modernising and upgrading the unit. Meanwhile, Oleh Apostol has been appointed as the new head of the Airborne Assault Forces.
Zelenskyy stressed that the leadership changes are intended to reflect and scale the experience of Ukraine’s best brigades across the entire armed forces. He noted that Ihor Skybyuk has been appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff as part of the broader effort to improve strategic coordination and preparation.
In a statement following his appointment, Drapatyi confirmed he will remain fully engaged in his role, despite the recent deadly Russian strike on a Ukrainian training ground near Dnipro.
